<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Rainbow Six: November Sun by paulwrites</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25317769">Rainbow Six: November Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/paulwrites/pseuds/paulwrites'>paulwrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Action/Adventure, Drama, Espionage, Military, Thriller</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:01:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25317769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/paulwrites/pseuds/paulwrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rainbow contends with a new terrorist threat that has emerged on the global stage, igniting a storm... and at the center of it all, Finka must fight her own battle as her muscular neuropathy disease returns with a vengeance.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lera "Finka" Melnikova/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. “MICROBOTS OR WHATEVER”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: Chapters might be considered fairly short because my main platform is Instagram, where I post my work on a maximum of 10 slides. I sincerely thank you for dropping by, and I hope you enjoy Rainbow Six: November Sun.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tachanka is reluctant to test new technology.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>FEBRUARY 19, 2019<br/>
RAINBOW HQ - HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>Alexsandr "Tachanka" Senaviev glanced around the medical bay, not bothering to hide the anxiety in his eyes.</p><p>The large room was cold, sterile. Lifeless. The hard sheen of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling tracks were shielded by blue glass, casting a light blue aura across the bay. Sinister tools and devices sat on stainless steel trays and carts, and Alex swallowed hard when he saw a series of syringes arranged neatly in clear, plastic capsules.</p><p>The needle of each syringe was substantially longer than the one before it, and Finka lifted the third syringe from its capsule.</p><p>Tachanka gulped. "Is this absolutely necessary?"</p><p>Finka flicked the syringe. "Yes." She looked over at the man, her eyes glimmering. "I find it funny that the great Lord Senaviev is is afraid of needles, of all things. Relax, Alex. It will only take a minute. Maybe two."</p><p>"Don't call me that."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You know what." Alex rolled his eyes. "Lord. I hate that shit. Who started it?"</p><p>Finka shrugged.</p><p>"Tell me, Lera."</p><p>"Jäger. Well, Jäger and Bandit, to be specific."</p><p>"I should have known."</p><p>Finka chuckled. "Could have something to do with you moving to ban their ACOGs at that IAF conference." The woman tapped the syringe in her fingers and watched some of the liquid secreted within squirt into the air. "Nervous?"</p><p>Tachanka snorted and straightened in his chair. "No."</p><p>"I think you are."</p><p>"That so?"</p><p>"Yes - and not just about the needles. Which arm?"</p><p>Alex held out his left arm, palm up. "Why is that?"</p><p>The woman rolled her chair close to him, and tapped the skin on the man's forearm. "Oh, good. You have good veins. We're going to get an IV started. Doc will be here any moment."</p><p>Senaviev clenched his jaw. "Just get it over with."</p><p>Lera sterilized the area and gently pushed the needle into his vein. She saw the muscles in Alex's forearms bulge as he tightened his hand into a fist. "Relax your arm, Alex."</p><p>He sighed, but obeyed.</p><p>"I think you're nervous about more than the needle," she continued, "because you already know that Jäger is the one who got everybody to start calling you 'Lord' Tachanka." Finka was grinning as she tied the small tourniquet around his arm and made sure the IV was properly secured. "Why pretend otherwise?"</p><p>"I hate needles," Alexsandr blurted. "I've been shot. I've taken shrapnel. I've been stabbed." He looked down at the IV in his arm. "Fucking needles, though."</p><p>"Don't trust me?"</p><p>Tachanka's face hardened. "These... nanobots you've created - they go directly into the bloodstream?"</p><p>"That's right."</p><p>"It's not you that I don't trust, Lera." The man bit his lip. "Microscopic bots made of... wait, what are they made of?"</p><p>Finka set her eyes on his, and was careful to project calm. "We've been over this. You're just stalling. Everyone else has had the injection already, without issue."</p><p>"No, I just-"</p><p>"They're zinc nanites," Lera interrupted impatiently. "They will remain dormant in your bloodstream until activated, at which point your system will instantly absorb the nutrients. You'll get a surge of adrenaline, painkillers, the works." She paused. "Think of it as Gustave's STIM shot... just more potent."</p><p>Senaviev shook his head and muttered something inaudible before sinking back onto the exam table.</p><p>The automatic door to the medical bay slid open with a soft pinging noise emitting from the sensor, and Gustave "Doc" Kateb walked in, nodding his greetings. "Alex, Lera. Sorry I'm late."</p><p>"Speak of the devil." Finka disposed of her nitrile gloves to swap out for a new pair.</p><p>"Talking about me?" Doc asked with a grin. "All good things, yes?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>Tachanka seized his moment to act on mischief. "Lera was just telling me about her nanobots being more effective than your STIM shots, Doc."</p><p>Finka's face remained blank. "That is not what I said."</p><p>Doc chuckled as he wheeled a portable monitoring station over next to the exam table. "In a way, she's right."</p><p>"Not how I phrased it though."</p><p>"I suspect that's true, Lera." Doc fired a smirk at Alex as he snapped on his nitrile gloves, and he began running EKG lines from the monitor and sticking the electrode stickers to key points of Tachanka's shirtless torso.</p><p>Finka saw Alexsandr tensing. "Alex, please relax. They're just to monitor your heartbeat while we inject the nanobots."</p><p>"All this talk of injecting nanobots, and no actual injection," Alex growled. "I don't like this."</p><p>"You'll be fine. You just-"</p><p>Without warning, Tachanka sat up on the table and ripped the electrode stickers off his body.</p><p>"Alex? Stop." Finka shot up from her chair and instinctively reached for the man, but he batted her hand away. "Alex!"</p><p>Tachanka ignored her pleas. He got to his feet and pulled his t-shirt on.</p><p>Doc shifted his weight. "Alexsandr, you have nothing to fear. The Director cleared this procedure weeks ago. There is no risk to-"</p><p>"No risk?" Alex scoffed. "I'm not letting anyone pump microbots or whatever into my body." He turned to leave.</p><p>Finka back-pedaled, raising her hands in a plea. "Wait. Just give me more time to explain the science to you."</p><p>"It's not about that."</p><p>"You can trust this process! I've refined it through mountains of research, and it's been tested by both the FSB and Spetsnaz."</p><p>Alexsandr shouldered past Finka and stepped out of the medical bay and into the hall, which led to the robotics and research laboratories near the experimental testing ground and firing range.</p><p>Finka followed him. "Alex! Wait."</p><p>He ignored her and kept walking, so the woman jogged to catch up, and stepped in front of him to halt his pace.</p><p>Tachanka sighed. "No. If I do this, I'm giving someone control over something in my damned bloodstream. Not happening."</p><p>"What? It's just for healing and performance enhancement."</p><p>"You didn't grow up with the KGB, Lera. I've seen what happens when you give someone else too much control." The man lifted his arm to scratch at the side of his head, and Finka could not help but notice the way his shirt hugged the curve of his bicep. "Not going down that route." He moved to walk around her, but the woman gently pressed her hand to his midriff to stop him.</p><p>"I'm not the KGB." Finka lowered her voice. "You know of my health issues. You know why I've devoted my life to this. I'm here to do my part."</p><p>Alexsandr sighed and met Finka's eyes with his. Her usual steely gaze was not to be found; her eyes were wide, urgent... concerned, even. He was not accustomed to seeing that light in her face.</p><p>"You said you've been shot, stabbed. I saw the scars." Lera stepped closer, and gently touched her palm to the man's stomach, near his hip. "When the bullet hit, you felt sharp, searing pain here." Her voice was soft, just above a whisper. "It radiated in waves, burning, knifing through your nerves."</p><p>Tachanka nodded wordlessly.</p><p>"If I was there, you would not have felt it. That pain would be washed away before it could begin." Finka allowed a soft smile up at him. "This is not about control, Alex. This is about protection." She let her hand fall from his body. "This is about me being here for all of you... but I can't be there for you if you won't let me."</p><p>At long last, the man exhaled deeply and uttered a small growl of defeat. "Damn it, Lera. Fine. Just make it quick, yes?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. “HARD TIMES”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka shares some unfortunate news with her Spetsnaz comrades.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 2, 2019<br/>
HEREFORD, ENGLAND<br/>
UNCLE TOMMY'S STEAKHOUSE</p><p>Lera "Finka" Melnikova sat by herself at a table in a dark corner of the steakhouse. Dim lighting accompanied lively banter and chatter amongst the pub's patrons, and slurred shouts mixed with drunken laughter and the clinking of glasses and silverware.</p><p>It was raining outside, as it always seemed to be, and Finka gazed out at the darkness beyond the droplet-stained glass. The dull glow from the overhead lamp cast half of her face in shadow, and she found her own eyes for a fleeting moment before averting her gaze and tilting her glass of vodka to her lips.</p><p>She wondered for a moment if she found vodka too refreshing.</p><p>"Well, look who it is."</p><p>Finka turned to see Tachanka had wandered in. The bear of a man let out an obnoxious sigh as he sank into the seat across from her.</p><p>"Listen to you, Alexsandr." She smirked before downing the rest of her vodka. "Like an old man."</p><p>Alex folded his arms. "I'm not afraid to say that this seat is damned comfortable."</p><p>"Oh, so I was mistaken."</p><p>
  <i>“Da.”</i>
</p><p>The woman rolled her eyes. "Drink?"</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>As Alex turned and raised his arm to catch the attention of the nearest waiter, the front door to the steakhouse opened again, allowing the sound of heavy rain to flow in like an aroma. Finka turned to see her teammates, Shuhrat "Fuze" Kessikbayev and Maxim "Kapkan" Basuda, enter, and flagged them down with a wave.</p><p>Shuhrat sat across the table next to Tachanka, and Maxim slid into the seat next to Finka. </p><p>One of the waiters reached their tableside, producing a small notepad and pen with practiced efficiency. "Good evening. What can I get you?"</p><p>"Vodka," Alex replied. "Couple rounds of shots."</p><p>Finka straightened in her seat. "We'll take the bottle, actually."</p><p>Her proclamation elicited a hearty cheer from the men around her, and the waiter chuckled. "Bottle of vodka for our Russian friends." He smiled at them. "Russian Standard, like last time?"</p><p>The woman nodded.</p><p>"Very well. I'll be right back with that, and we can get you some food."</p><p>*    *    *</p><p>Nearly an hour later found the Spetsnaz foursome feasting on hearty helpings of fish and chips, bangers and mash, and chicken wings. They had obliterated most of the bottle of Russian Standard before the food had arrived, and Finka found herself beyond tipsy as she poured another shot of vodka.</p><p>Kapkan nudged her with his elbow. "Slow it down, hm?"</p><p>"Fuck off, Max."</p><p>The man laughed and raised his own shot glass. "To comrade Glazkov, who couldn't be here with us tonight because he's busy training recruits."</p><p>The others chuckled and raised their glasses. Tachanka looked to Finka, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "How about a toast from you, Lera?"</p><p><i>Da,"</i> chimed Fuze. "You invited us all here, after all."</p><p>Finka's wide smile began to fade. She watched the shot glass in her fingers' grasp, her hand lingering in mid-air. The lights of the restaurant began to fade out of focus, blurring the vodka in her glass. Her head swayed with alcohol's embrace, but she knew it wasn't the source of the haze in her vision.</p><p>"Lera?"</p><p>The woman blinked. "To hard times, comrades. They make us who we are."</p><p>Alex, Shuhrat, and Maxim all exchanged glances. Finka's words washed over them, and much like the vodka that burned their throats and warmed their guts, it settled in and deepened with each passing moment.</p><p>Alexsandr shifted in his seat. "Lera."</p><p>Finka's eyes were fixed on her hands, and she was fidgeting about with them on the table. She could feel the tears beginning to form.</p><p>"Lera."</p><p>The woman bit her lip and wrung her hands together. She bowed her head in embarrassment as she tried to stifle the tears welling up in her eyes. Sorrow was beginning to weigh upon her. One of Finka's greatest nightmares was to look weak to the men in front of her.</p><p>"Lera," Tachanka tried again patiently. He cast an uneasy glance at his companions before reaching across the table and putting a gentle hand on the woman's forearm. "What's wrong?"</p><p>Miraculously, Finka willed the impending tears away. She squared herself and nodded at Alexsandr, who lifted his hand from her arm. "I brought you boys here tonight because I... I have some news." She sniffed. "It's not good."</p><p>The men shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Fuze took the bottle and poured some more vodka into Finka's glass.</p><p>"No more," she whispered. "Thank you."</p><p>Shuhrat nodded. "Tell us what's going on, Melnikova. You know we've got your back."</p><p>"What's wrong?" asked Kapkan.</p><p>Finka took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. "You all know I've been in remission for some time now. I grew up in Gomel, and you know how it was there for us after Chernobyl." She paused and bit her lip. "Doc and Lion know what I'm about to tell you. I knew Glaz wasn't going to be able to make it here tonight, so I told him too."</p><p>Tachanka was surprised at how much it stung him to know that Lera had not confided in him or the other Russians first, but he forced that feeling aside and clasped his hands together. "You're making us nervous. What is it?"</p><p>"Well, Alex...." Finka trailed off. She defied her earlier request of Shuhrat and took the shot of vodka he had poured for her, ignoring the burn and slamming the glass down to the table. "Okay. Here it is. My condition - the peripheral neuropathy - it's back. I'm out of remission."</p><p>The others stared in shock. Alex opened his mouth to speak, but could say nothing. Maxim's gaze fell to the crumb-filled plate in front of him. Shuhrat let out a low whoosh of air, feeling like he had been punched in the stomach.</p><p>Finka swallowed hard. "Doc spotted it first. I have him to thank."</p><p>"What do you mean he 'spotted' it?" asked Kapkan.</p><p>"He's been helping me for some time now with my research, monitoring my personal health reports, progress charts." The woman flashed a tragic smile. "He saw warning signs a couple weeks ago. Then the numbness started last week. Felt it in my fingers when I was carrying my gear to the firing range. I hoped to God I was imagining it, but when I started grouping drills with my .308, I realized I couldn't feel the trigger."</p><p>More silence fell across the group. The voices of the other patrons all blended together into one inaudible buzz, and thunder in the Hereford sky punctuated it all with a muffled roar beyond the rain-stained windows.</p><p>It was Kapkan who cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. "So where does that leave us?"</p><p>Finka smiled. It warmed her that Maxim had said 'us' - one word made her feel like she wasn't alone. "Six has pulled me off the Ready List. It's important that I continue my training and fitness regimen, and thankfully she agrees." She suddenly bowed her head and groaned, covering her mouth. "Oh, fuck."</p><p>Her comrades burst into a chorus of laughter, and Maxim clapped a hand to her shoulder. "Vodka is tasteless going down... but is memorable coming up, yes?"</p><p>"Fuck off, Max."</p><p>"That's twice she's said that to me tonight," Kapkan chuckled. "I must be doing something right."</p><p>The men shared another laugh as Finka stood shakily and made her way across the pub to the restroom. When she was out of sight, they all shared their dismay with hung heads and slurred curses.</p><p>While her companions ached over the news, Finka steadied herself on the restroom sink and looked at herself in the mirror the best she could. The walls seemed to be moving, and she scolded herself for drinking too much, too fast.</p><p>She berated herself for not finding a longer term treatment. A cure. Anything. Lera had some of the best tech in the world, a bottomless budget and state of the art facilities, and yet she had failed in her endeavors.</p><p>Finka washed her hands and splashed water on her face. She knew she was being too hard on herself.</p><p>She didn't care.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. “THE PASHKOV HOUSE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Plans are made in the shadows of Moscow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 4, 2019<br/>
MOSCOW, RUSSIA<br/>
KHAMOVNIKI DISTRICT<br/>
THE PASHKOV HOUSE</p><p>The famed Pashkov House was always a sight to behold, even for Matvei Federov, who had spent much of his adult life living in Moscow. The man stopped at the base of the stone steps leading to the front portico and gazed solemnly upward at the front facade of the mansion.</p><p>His eyes wandered over the tall stone columns that loomed above. Most of the windows glowed with warm light, and Matvei took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, careful to steady his nerves.</p><p>Tonight was crucial. Everything depended on him, and on the men waiting inside. Matvei thrusted his hands into his jacket pockets and began ascending the stairs. He could feel the eyes of the security guards upon him.</p><p>The pair of guards nodded their greetings, and one stepped aside to let him through the front doors.</p><p>Matvei voiced his thanks, but slowed to a stop. "One of you have a smoke?"</p><p>Both guards shook their heads. Matvei noticed the glance that one shot to the other.</p><p>"Mm." Matvei looked at one of the guards, then the other. "Do I really have to do this every time?"</p><p>Neither guard answered.</p><p>"Fine." Federov cleared his throat. "I'm in the market for a rare book. Perhaps you could help."</p><p>The taller guard shrugged. "Ask one of the librarians inside. We're just security."</p><p>Federov rolled his eyes. "I'm looking for <i>Krylov's Fables</i> - the 1855 edition."</p><p>"Ah." The taller guard reached into his coat pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. He took one for himself and handed one to Federov before offering a light. "In that case, follow me."</p><p>Rather than lead Federov through the front entrance, the guard gestured for him to follow as they strolled along a path outside the mansion, leaving the other security guard at the front doors.</p><p>"Honestly," Federov groaned, "you know me by now. Stop making me do the stupid password/test thing."</p><p>"Rules are rules, sir."</p><p>"It's tiresome and redundant."</p><p>The guard stopped abruptly and turned to face Matvei. "Mr. Krishkin would disagree, sir - I believe it would be best for you to remember this."</p><p>Federov cocked his head, not averting his eyes from the other man's gaze. "And I would suggest you remember who you are speaking to. I am going to meet with Mr. Krishkin behind closed doors. You are not." He stepped closer to the guard. "Let us continue on before things get worse for you."</p><p>Both men stared each other down for a long moment. Wind rustled the leaves of the trees outside the mansion, and the guard seemed to finally grasp the weight behind Federov's words. He turned away and grunted his acceptance, and the pair resumed their trek around the mansion perimeter.</p><p>They crossed a beautiful courtyard and rounded the corner to the rear of the mansion beneath an overhanging portico on the second floor, stepping through shadows cast by tall stone columns and proud trees.</p><p>Instead of ascending the rear outdoor staircase to the ornate back porch, they passed it and stole into a narrow staircase leading down into a shadowy basement entrance, completely hidden from the view of any passersby or would-be intruders.</p><p>A dying lightbulb above a wrought-iron door flickered on and off, revealing another guard stationed outside. This man wore a leather jacket and jeans instead of the security staff uniform the other guards wore. He straightened when Federov and his escort neared. "Matvei."</p><p>"Boris." Federov offered a brisk nod. "How are things?"</p><p>"Would be better with vodka," the man remarked, stepping aside and opening the door for Federov. "Mr. Krishkin and the others are waiting for you."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>A minute later, Federov was seated at a large table in a dimly lit basement cellar with four other men. He peered through the cigarette smoke clouding the air at the faces around the table, partly covered by hard shadows. It always reminded him of a backroom poker game in an American mafia movie.</p><p>Boris had followed Federov in and quietly shut the door behind them both before assuming his post inside. He opened his jacket, revealing a dual-shoulder holster rig and two nickel-plated handguns, folded his arms, and leaned against the wall casually.</p><p>The man at the head of the table - the mysterious Mr. Krishkin - straightened his suit and leaned forward. His face was creased with frown lines, and his steely eyes were fearless and unforgiving.</p><p>"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Krishkin said. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "The day draws near. I want to thank you all for offering your services, and the work you've done to get us this far. Russia will thank you." He looked to Boris. "Boris, bring the drinks, please."</p><p>The bodyguard nodded and slipped into a side door that led to the large staffing kitchen. A moment later he returned, followed by a beautiful young woman balancing a tray of glasses and two bottles of vodka on ice. She set the tray down and expertly filled each glass in one sweeping motion, drawing eager glances from the men at the table.</p><p>Krishkin waited for the woman to finish. When she had served everyone their glass and exited the room, he continued. "Comrades," he declared solemnly, raising his glass, "a week from now, President Vikhrov intends to meet with the Americans and Chinese in Washington, D.C. Our president tells our people he is working towards a brighter future. He tells them that we must change with the times - he is calling it "compromise." This is simply not true."</p><p>The other men nodded their agreement, exchanging glances with one another in silent camaraderie.</p><p>"It is not compromise." Krishkin swept his gaze over the others. "President Vikhrov is bowing to the west. He weakens our country with each passing month. I have vowed, as you all have, to not let this happen."</p><p>The man sitting next to Federov, a bald man known simply as Antonov, slapped the table excitedly with his open palm. "Damn right," he chimed. "Russia bows to no one - especially not any fucking Americans."</p><p>Krishkin smiled. "Precisely. Let us drink to the future." He raised his glass high. "To Mother Russia."</p><p>The other men echoed his toast and downed their shots of vodka.</p><p>Nobody noticed that Federov did not drink.</p><p>A round of cheers erupted from the table, and Krishkin held up his hands to quiet his companions.</p><p>"If all goes well, President Vikhrov will not live to see that meeting. We shall remove him from this world, and be done with him." Krishkin's face hardened. "Prime Minister Chernyev will fill the vacancy, and our plans will become a reality."</p><p>The men cheered again.</p><p>Krishkin grinned, looking sinister in the dim light. "With our comrade Chernyev at the helm, Russia will enter a new era. This will be—"</p><p>Loud beeping sounded throughout the room. Federov watched realization cross his companions' faces as they all scooped their phones out of their pockets.</p><p>He saw their eyes go wide upon reading their screens. Krishkin and the others were in such shock that they didn't even notice Federov standing and carefully pushing his chair in.</p><p>"No," Antonov gasped. "It cannot be."</p><p>Krishkin was shaking his head in stunned silence. "Prime Minister Chernyev found...." he drew a sharp breath and exhaled deeply. "Found dead. Cause of death unknown."</p><p>At that moment, Antonov lurched in his seat and began gagging. His comrades looked on in shock before they, one by one, followed suit and began vomiting blood and retching violently.</p><p>Krishkin sank to his knees with a thud, clutching his throat, and looked to Federov desperately.</p><p>Matvei Federov knelt in front of the terrorist leader. "Poison," he whispered. "You all thought yourselves so smart, and the oldest trick in the book brings you down."</p><p>"Federov... you... son of a—"</p><p>Federov just smiled. "Do not worry, Mr. Krishkin - President Vikhrov will meet his end. Just... not the way you envisioned." He stood and turned his back on the man, not even bothering to watch Krishkin choke on his last breaths.</p><p>Boris the bodyguard was still standing at the door with a forlorn smile. "That was easier than it should have been."</p><p>"Indeed, comrade." Federov straightened the collar of his jacket and cast a glance at the dead bodies on the floor. "Three of them were on Interpol's Most Wanted list. Now look at them."</p><p>"Shall I get rid of the girl, Matvei?"</p><p>"I suppose so. Shame - she is quite pretty. Make it quick and clean."</p><p>Boris nodded and stole into the side door to the kitchen once again, leaving Federov on his own with the corpses.</p><p>Federov shook his head. "Rest in peace, you who aimed too low," he whispered. He turned and exited the basement of Pashkov House, knowing that the security guards he had met at the front entrance were already dead.</p><p>The Washington D.C. meeting needed to happen. Federov's mission was far more ambitious than Krishkin's had been. It would be best to slay three dragons in one swing of the sword, and with the leaders of Russia, the United States, and China all in one location, this was an opportunity that could not be missed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. “PACE YOURSELF, LERA”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Finka struggles privately with Her returning symptoms, Director Six gets an urgent phone call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 - EARLY MORNING<br/>
RAINBOW HEADQUARTERS<br/>
HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>Finka stood in the shower and eased both palms to the wall before leaning against it. She bowed her head and buried her face in her arms, trying to savor the warm water that ran through her hair and over her skin.</p><p>Mild spasms of pain pricked her knuckles every few seconds, a sensation that Lera likened to her foot falling asleep if she sat on it for too long. She gritted her teeth as a seemingly random numbness crawled across her back, making the skin around her left shoulder blade tingle uncomfortably.</p><p>The woman tried to reach behind her to scratch at it, but the tingling fled her grasp into the middle of her back, where she could not reach.</p><p>She sighed and turned to press her back to the wall, and she moved up and down against the wet tiles to relieve the itch she could not scratch - but just as she began to find relief, the numbness disappeared.</p><p>It was beginning.</p><p>Lera clenched her teeth and turned to lean into the wall beneath the shower head again, willing herself to focus on the soothing hot water and vapor that enveloped her body.</p><p>Peripheral neuropathy was the bane of Finka's existence, yet also the source of her accomplishments. It had affected her muscles and nerves since she was a teenager, and her particular condition was not reversible.</p><p>Her work and research had staved it off for much longer than she had ever anticipated, yet here she was, forced to face it again as it walked out of her nightmares and back into her life.</p><p>Lera suddenly began coughing, her body spasming as the coughs rolled into an uncontrollable cadence. A doctor of hers had once compared these fits to those of asthmatics.</p><p>The coughs kept coming. Her airway felt tight, and Lera doubled over beneath the running water, resting her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath. The hot vapor filling the shower made it difficult to do so.</p><p>Finka growled and stood straight. She steeled herself, shut her eyes, and began breathing. In, out. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Three seconds in. Three seconds out. Four seconds in. Four seconds out.</p><p>This was not her neuropathy. This was a panic attack, and the fact that she was so familiar with it irked Lera to no end.</p><p>Weakness was unacceptable.</p><p>Deep breath in through the nose. Out through the mouth. In. Out.</p><p>A sudden spasm of pain shot down her lower back all the way to her calves. The shock made Lera gasp in surprise, and she knelt to one knee in the shower, grimacing against the pain.</p><p>She had not expected such strong symptoms so soon.</p><p>She took a deep breath, let out a mighty whoosh of air and watched the water trickle off her body and run to the drain, swirling around it like a whirlpool before vanishing into the pipes hidden from view.</p><p>Lera thought momentarily that life itself was, perhaps, much like water: circling the drain until the day the last drop disappeared.</p><p>She then shook her head to snap herself out of it. Her legs burned from the cardio session she had just finished with IQ and Valkyrie, and perhaps it had taken a greater toll on her body than she had anticipated.</p><p>The sound of the women's locker room door opening from beyond the shower curtain jarred Lera from her thoughts. She could hear Monika "IQ" Weiss shouting something to someone in passing before shutting the door behind her.</p><p>Finka sighed before shakily getting to her feet, still trying to catch her breath. She heard Monika let her duffle bag fall to one of the benches with a thud, and the metallic clank of her locker swinging open.</p><p>"Lera?" Monika called over the running water. "You good?"</p><p>Lera pretended not to hear her, and tried her best to ignore the twitching muscles in her legs.</p><p>"Harry said that's our best time yet for the five-mile," Monika continued, slamming her locker shut. "Meghan was two seconds off her personal best. She's pretty pissed."</p><p>Lera clenched her jaw. "I bet."</p><p>A wordless minute went by. IQ started the water in a nearby shower, and when Finka heard her step in and draw the curtain shut, she sank carefully back down to the shower floor and sat cross-legged under the hot water.</p><p>The woman closed her eyes and took comfort in the mist around her, as if it were a blanket shielding her from further pain.</p><p>If only.</p><p>"You going to the range after this?" Monika called.</p><p>Lera didn't open her eyes. "Negative. Heading to the lab to run some diagnostics."</p><p>"Nanobots?"</p><p>"Yes." She liked IQ, but Finka was not in the talking mood.</p><p>"Let me or Pichon know if you need any help."</p><p>"Will do."</p><p>Another wordless minute passed before Lera got to her feet again and shut off her shower. She quickly shoved the curtain aside, dried off, got dressed, and left the locker room.</p><p>She soon reached her dorm, and she let her bag fall to the floor as she shut the door behind her, grateful for privacy.</p><p>Lera didn't even bother taking off her shoes. She sank into bed and pulled out her phone to quickly text Doc about her worsening symptoms.</p><p>Going to lab to run some tests, she wrote.</p><p>Doc replied seconds later.</p><p>No. Rest up first. I'll help when ur ready.</p><p>Finka sighed and swept her blanket over her, even covering her face to block out the world. "Pace yourself, Lera," she breathed. "One step at a time."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Rainbow Director Harishva "Harry" Pandey was in his office going over performance reviews for the recruits when his secretary paged his desk.</p><p>"Harry, I have Doug on the line. It's urgent."</p><p>The man set his glasses down on the folder in front of him. "Thank you Anya. Patch me through."</p><p>"Harry," came a man's voice a moment later. "We have a situation." Douglas Lilly was the on-site CIA liaison to Rainbow, and Harry could tell from his tone that there was no time for formalities.</p><p>"What do we have, Doug?"</p><p>"Explosion at the Russian Embassy in Brussels. Hostage situation, potential bomb threat. CIA is negotiating with Belgium for a response by Rainbow."</p><p>"One moment, please." Harry buzzed Anya. "Situation imminent. Have Ash and Sledge gather Teams 1 and 2 for emergency response. Please ping Harvell and the others and let them know I'll be there shortly."</p><p>"Yes, sir. Teams 1 and 2 will be on standby for immediate departure."</p><p>"Thank you." Harry clicked back onto the call with Doug. "Prepping for a response, Doug. Hopefully your friends at the Agency can convince them to let us in. What do we know so far?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. “NOT MUCKIN’ ABOUT”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow scrambles to address a new threat in Belgium.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eliza "Ash" Cohen slung her R4-C assault rifle over her shoulder and jogged out of the armory doors and onto the neighboring outdoor airstrip. The rest of Team 1 followed: Montagne, Twitch, Thatcher, Nøkk, and Maverick.</p><p>Seamus "Sledge" Cowden was right behind her, and Team 2 was on his heels: Valkyrie, Lion, Rook, Doc, and Glaz.</p><p>Lieutenant Colonel Amelia Acevedo already had their plane, an unmarked Beechcraft C-12 Huron, prepared for takeoff. All twelve operators filed onboard, hurriedly stowed their gear, and took their seats.</p><p>Harry boarded last. Unlike his predecessor, Director Arnot, Harry preferred to travel to mission sites with the deployed teams. He wasted no time in pulling his headset over his ears, and his operators followed suit as Lt. Col. Acevedo eased the plane's twin engines to life.</p><p>"Everyone got me?" Harry asked, tapping one of his headphones.</p><p>Both Rainbow teams sounded off their confirmations, and Acevedo's voice crackled in their headsets.</p><p>"Griffon 2-6 is cleared for takeoff. Buckle up, boys and girls. We're wheels-up. We'll touch down at destination in approximately 90 minutes."</p><p>The plane soon gunned across the small runway and lifted off the pavement, and once Acevedo had leveled the craft at high altitude, Harry opened his laptop. "Intel coming at you now. Check your consoles."</p><p>Every seat was fitted with a state-of-the-art tablet directly linked with Harry's laptop and communications with HQ back at base. The operators quickly unsnapped their tablets from their docks, which had already been powered on.</p><p>"OPERATION: GREY FALCON" headlined a splash screen of an electronic mission briefing, organized neatly in a clean, easy-to-navigate format.</p><p>"Let's do it," Harry announced. "Follow along with me and we'll wrap up the briefing so we can get to planning. Now: the Russian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium is under siege by a well-equipped terrorist element. Assault rifles, hand grenades, radios and headsets. Police even saw an RPG. They've barricaded themselves in the eastern wing of the embassy. Local authorities have the perimeter surrounded, the nearby streets cleared, and have only now succeeded in establishing contact with the hostiles.</p><p>No demands were made. The terrorist leader stated they have over forty hostages in custody, and multiple bombs are on-site. They have informed authorities that any attempt to enter the embassy will be met with detonations. To demonstrate the seriousness of their intentions, one of the masked men walked outside, showed perimeter police that he had a bomb strapped to his chest, and detonated it. No officers or civilians were harmed." Harry finally paused and looked around at his team. "It was just to prove a point."</p><p>The operators all exchanged glances.</p><p>"They're not muckin' about, are they?" Thatcher remarked.</p><p>"Exactly." Harry adjusted his glasses. "Belgium has two DSU Intervention units on-site, backed by a local police, but a motion was made to approach Rainbow for help."</p><p>"Good," Ash nodded. "Nice when ego can be put aside so we can step in."</p><p>Helps that we've worked with Belgium before," came Sledge. "Operation Steel Wind, 1999. A Belgian embassy, ironically."</p><p>"Indeed." Harry swiped his screen. As he did, the screens on all the present operators' tablets reflected the movement, bringing up a series of photos. "This is the embassy. Street view." He swiped. "Aerial view, and another." He continued swiping through the images. "Interior, main lobby. Interior, security room. Offices on the first and second floors. Long hallways, lots of doors and windows. Emergency exits on all four sides of the building. Blueprints of the floor plans on final slide."</p><p>Nøkk straightened in her seat. "Get me in there," she said quietly. "Depending on their locations and numbers, I can slip in, set charges, neutralize the targets on a coordinated breach with the others."</p><p>"It's never that simple," Twitch murmured. She scanned over the blueprints methodically, memorizing layouts of ventilation shafts.</p><p>Glaz zoomed out on an aerial view of the surrounding streets. "Not many optimal perches overlooking the east wing," he mused. "That bank across the way, though... that might be a good position for overwatch - top floor window instead of the roof. Lower profile."</p><p>Valkyrie clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "What do we know about the hostiles, Six? Name? Nationality, leader?"</p><p>"Please, just call me Harry." The man smiled at his laptop screen. "Speak of the devil. DSU just forwarded this to me. Sending it your way. Take a look."</p><p>Rook's eyes narrowed. "Estimated ten to fifteen hostiles," he read aloud. "Ski masks and balaclavas. Urban camouflage fatigues. No demands as of yet. No identifying insignias."</p><p>"Man who made contact with authorities thought to be Russian," continued Doc. "That's it."</p><p>Glaz chuckled. "You know how those Russians can be."</p><p>"So we have fuck-all," Sledge grumbled. "Belgium knows we don't negotiate, aye?"</p><p>Harry peered at the man over his glasses. "They know."</p><p>"More offices on the top floor than the bottom." Ash tapped her finger on the second floor blueprint. "I like a rooftop insertion for Team 1. Look at those corridors. Touré lives for that shit."</p><p>Montagne smiled. "I like it, too. Sweep the top floor, move downward." He looked to Sledge. "Team 2 inserts ground level, cleans house, we catch them in the middle no matter what."</p><p>"Just watch that crossfire and we'll be good," came Doc. "Lot of variables on the table."</p><p>Thatcher shifted in his seat. "Have authorities cut the power yet?"</p><p>"Negative," Harry replied. "They're waiting to poke the hornet's nest... for now. Go over the floor plans. Memorize it like innocent lives depend on it."</p><p>A chorus of affirmatives answered him, and Harry turned his attention back to his laptop. "Anya, do you copy?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Is the situation room ready to go?"</p><p>"Everyone is present, Harry. Comms are live and the War Room is ready."</p><p>The "War Room" was the nickname for Rainbow's in-house intelligence and communications headquarters. There, a small Crisis Team headed operations behind-the-scenes to assist Rainbow operators with their missions.</p><p>"Excellent. Begin recording all comms." The man tilted his mouth microphone and coughed before continuing. "Stating for the record: Director Six here, present for operation."</p><p>The voices of the senior members of the Crisis Team soon followed.</p><p>"Douglas Lilly, CIA liaison to Rainbow, present for op."</p><p>"Vince Vion, Rainbow Chief of Intel. I'm here."</p><p>"Kate Harvell, Comms and Logistics Officer. Present for operation."</p><p>Harry nodded. "Excellent. Let us begin. Kate, can you get me a line directly to the Belgian DSU commander on-site?"</p><p>"Yes, sir." Harry could hear Kate's fingers over the radio as they danced across her keyboard. "One Belgian Special Units commander coming right up, Harry."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. “NO DEMANDS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry touches base with the Belgian DSU commander on-site as Rainbow flies to Brussels.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the Rainbow operators on the plane reviewed the schematics and floor plans of the Russian Embassy in Brussels, Harry peered intently at his laptop screen as he waited for Communications Officer Harvell.</p><p>Her voice crackled in his headset soon after. "Patching you through, Harry."</p><p>"Thank you, Kate."</p><p>A moment later, a man greeted Harry on the other line. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Maes, Belgian Directorate of Special Units."</p><p>"Well-met, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm Director Six of Rainbow."</p><p>"I've been expecting your call, Director. My superiors have informed me of your organization's interest in our situation."</p><p>Harry could detect a hint of apprehension behind the man's words. "We're simply coming to offer a helping hand, Lieutenant Colonel. Rainbow has worked in tandem with Belgium before."</p><p>The line was silent for a moment. "When?"</p><p>"Belgian Embassy in London. February of 2000."</p><p>"Ah. That was your organization?"</p><p>"Indeed, Lieutenant Colonel - though, that was before my time."</p><p>"You share this information rather freely with me, Director, do you not?"</p><p>Harry made sure that his smile conveyed over the line. "Just aiming for a smooth collaboration. We're all on the same side, after all."</p><p>"Mm. One moment." Harry could hear Lt. Col. Maes discussing something with one of his men momentarily before returning to the call. "Apologies, Director. We've accessed audio and visual feeds within the embassy thanks to the security company's outside cooperation. We've determined the gunmen inside are speaking Russian."</p><p>"You have visuals on the hostiles?"</p><p>"Affirmative. They haven't deactivated or destroyed the surveillance cameras within the embassy."</p><p>Every Rainbow operator had been patched in to hear the entire conversation through their own headsets, and they all perked up at the man's words. Valkyrie pointed at Harry with wide eyes, and he flashed her a wink. "That is as good as gold, Lieutenant Colonel," Harry said. "Can you patch that through to me? My Comms Officer can provide you with a secure channel."</p><p>"Hm. Respectfully, I don't know about that, Director."</p><p>Valkyrie bit her lip anxiously, and her fellow operators waited with bated breath.</p><p>"I can personally assure you that our channels are as secure as they get. I'd put my career on the line."</p><p>"I, however, would not do the same."</p><p>Harry maintained a steady demeanor. "I cannot stress enough how much of a blessing it would be to my team. We're gathering intel now, mid-flight. This would be a tremendous help, and as you know, every second counts." He paused. "That said, the choice is yours, Lieutenant Colonel. We're not here to step on your toes."</p><p>Lt. Col. Maes sighed on the other end. "I do not wish to hamper your efforts. I truly am simply concerned about security."</p><p>"My organization is top-tier in every aspect of warfare," Harry replied. "This includes security and technological advancement. Send a mirror to the uplink so that my operators may see the men they're up against."</p><p>"Very well, Director."</p><p>Valkyrie pumped a triumphant fist into the air, not taking her eyes off her tablet's screen.</p><p>"My thanks, Lieutenant Colonel. How was contact made?"</p><p>The Belgian DSU commander grunted his acknowledgment. "Local police received a 101 emergency phone call from someone inside, and their systems were pinged once by a silent alarm activation. My men arrived, established a perimeter and communication with Brussels PD, and we then tried for two hours to make contact with the hostiles - or anyone willing to pick up one of the phones - in the inside. We were unsuccessful."</p><p>"Only one silent alarm activation?" Harry asked.</p><p>"Our thoughts exactly," replied Maes. "For them to overtake embassy security so quickly speaks to their... efficiency. Now, at the two hour and five minute mark - just under half an hour ago - we received a call from an untraceable cell phone inside the embassy. That was first contact."</p><p>"What was said?"</p><p>"It was a man calling himself "Tsar.' I can have my officers forward you the recorded call, but an audio scrambler was used to disguise Tsar's voice. It might take us a few hours to get rid of the noise and distortion."</p><p>Harry nodded. "My people can make it quicker."</p><p>"Good to know. We'll send it your way." Lt. Col. Maes paused to bark orders to his nearby soldiers before returning to the call. "Tsar simply informed us that they have taken 42 hostages, both staff and civilian alike, and that bombs are being worn by him and his men, as well as having been placed at key locations in the building. No demands were made, and we do not yet have a reason for the attack. He then said that he wished to 'show us the weight behind his words.' At that time, a masked man walked out onto the front steps of the embassy, jacket open to reveal a bomb strapped to his chest. In plain view, he triggered the detonation. Didn't say a word. There was no warning."</p><p>"Duly noted," muttered Harry.</p><p>"Tsar then called us again to say that he hoped his instructions to keep our distance were 'clear.' He informed us that he would be in touch soon."</p><p>"Soon?"</p><p>"That's all he said.</p><p>Twitch was sitting across from Harry, and she flashed him a thumbs-up. "Uplink established," she whispered. "Our Belgian friends are transferring the files now."</p><p>"Looks like we're connected," Harry voiced to Maes. "We'll review everything you send. Thank you for your cooperation, Lieutenant Colonel."</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>"I would like to make a request of you, if I may."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Please have DSU uniforms ready for my operators - twelve, in all - with appropriate patches and insignias. We'll send you sizing. My team's identities must be kept hidden from prying eyes and any news media cameras."</p><p>"Understood." Lt. Col. Maes sighed. "Be warned: media is all over this. Helicopters, everything."</p><p>"That's not optimal. Can you get rid of them? "</p><p>"Negative, Director." The DSU commander sighed again. "I can clear immediate airspace, but certain people of important stature want the publicity. After the ISIL bombings in 2016, my superiors feel that it's important that the world sees my country's counter-terrorism capabilities in a more... positive light."</p><p>Harry frowned. "Surely there is someone—"</p><p>"I don't like it either, Director Six, but it is most assuredly out of my hands. Now, I must get back to things here. My men will pick you up when you reach the airport. We'll see you soon."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. “ONE FACE OF MANY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Rainbow preps for operation, the hostiles make contact.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just over an hour later, Rainbow's plane touched down at Brussels Airport. It was the organization's standard practice to use civilian airports when possible rather than military airfields. Men and women dressed in civilian clothing, boarding and departing unmarked aircraft - or, appropriately marked aircraft on occasion - drew less attention than one would suspect.</p><p>It was the way that John Clark, Rainbow's founder and original director, had preferred to operate. Since then, the practice had become protocol.</p><p>Two grey SUVs and a black sedan with tinted windows were waiting for them, along with three armed men dressed in civilian clothing.</p><p>A muscular man in jeans and a polo shirt who was casually leaning against the hood of the sedan straightened and walked to meet Rainbow. He shook Harry's hand. "Director Six, I presume?"</p><p>"Yes. And you?"</p><p>"You can call me Liam. DSU, Special Reconnaissance. I answer to Lieutenant Colonel Maes. I believe you two have already spoken?"</p><p>"As we were en route, yes."</p><p>The other men with Liam had already popped the vehicle trunks and quickly assisted Harry's operators in loading their gear. In less than a minute, the small convoy was speeding for a nearby helipad, where a H215 Airbus transport helicopter was waiting, rotors already spinning.</p><p>Everyone hastily filed onboard, including Rainbow pilot Lt. Col. Acevedo. Their clothes and hair whipped with the downwash of the rotor wind, and Liam signaled for the pilot to take off.</p><p>"The flight from here to the Russian Embassy is only a few minutes - far more preferable to the 30-40 minute drive, given the circumstances." Liam scooped up a briefcase full of classified folders, and handed it to Harry. "Take one and pass them down, please." The man looked at the Rainbow operators in the cargo hold and raised his voice so they could all hear him. "Quick reference docs to familiarize yourselves with - local protocols, ROE, the works."</p><p>Harry flipped his folder open. "Our Rules of Engagement tend to differ from those of government forces."</p><p>"That's all above my pay grade - but still, good for background, yes?" Liam looked over his shoulder. "Mertens!" he called.</p><p>One of Liam's men nodded his understanding. He pulled four large duffle bags from under his seat and the neighboring seat, and slid them one-by-one across the floor of the cargo hold.</p><p>"Your DSU uniforms," Liam announced. "All appropriate patches and insignias are present. Uniforms should be labeled as you requested, Director. Balaclavas and masks can be provided if needed."</p><p>Harry nodded and fished his hands into the first bag. "One."</p><p>Ash took the uniform from him.</p><p>"Two."</p><p>Sledge was next. Every operator had a previously assigned number for pre-op preparations. This allowed quick distribution of foreign service uniforms - or anything less - without revealing any of the Rainbow operators' names or callsigns... even in the presence of allies.</p><p>Everyone dressed quickly, long accustomed to doing so in front of one another with practiced professional courtesy.</p><p>Valkyrie rolled up the sleeves of her Multicam ACU to her forearms. "Never wore a Belgian flag before," she remarked quietly.</p><p>Rook chuckled. "First time for everything."</p><p>Liam steadied himself as the helicopter hit minor turbulence. "As of now, Lieutenant Colonel Maes has taken over operational jurisdiction from Brussels PD, and the perimeter is—" The man stopped suddenly and put a finger to his earpiece. "Say again?"</p><p>Ash and Glaz exchanged glances. Harry raised his eyebrows in anticipation.</p><p>Liam hastily scooped up a large tablet and patched some wires into a panel on its side. "Tsar has made contact. Relaying it now, live."</p><p>Everyone leaned forward in their seats as a video feed crackled to life. A masked man stared into the camera with crystalline blue eyes that were seemingly devoid of emotion.</p><p>The masked man looked down at the desk in front of him and shuffled some papers about out of view before leveling his gaze back into the camera. He took a deep breath.</p><p>"I want you to listen to me, now. I want you to listen very carefully, because I promise: I will only say this once."</p><p>"Running retinal scan," Twitch announced.</p><p>Valkyrie nodded. "I'm on voice analysis."</p><p>"I am Tsar." The masked man shifted his weight. "My real name is not important, for I will not be here for long."</p><p>"Not good," Sledge murmured.</p><p>Harry said nothing, but the sinking feeling in his gut was most telling, and rarely did it lie.</p><p>"I am one face of many, and we many are one." To everyone's surprise, the speaker removed his ski mask, revealing messy brown hair and a grizzled face. He stared through the camera at them with empty eyes.</p><p>"Running facial scan," whispered Twitch.</p><p>The light that may have once filled the unknown man's tired eyes long been extinguished, but Harry saw something else in the man's eyes; he could sense firm resolve and a quiet peace. This man had already resigned to his fate. He did not question death.</p><p>"We are November Sun." Tsar shifted in his seat, but never took his eyes off the camera. "This is not about money. This is not about politics, or misguided patriotism, or propaganda."</p><p>Another gunman, still wearing his mask, stepped briefly on screen and whispered something in Tsar's ear.</p><p>The man nodded and waved the messenger off. He straightened in his seat and leered at the camera. "This is about retribution." Tsar paused. "September 3, 2004: Beslan, North Ossetia."</p><p>Harry cursed silently, and most of the Rainbow operators present immediately recognized the date.</p><p>"We never forgot those who died. Now, we will make sure the world always remembers." Tsar lifted an AK-74 from off camera and slung it over his shoulder. "We will be in touch within the hour."</p><p>The video feed was cut, and the screen went dark.</p><p>"The Beslan Hostage Crisis." Glaz's face was hard. "Dark days."</p><p>Lion clicked his tongue. "That's some deep-seated anger."</p><p>"Agreed." Maverick was pulling a balaclava over his head. "We gotta assume these guys don't plan on living through this."</p><p>Harry looked to Liam. "The helicopter we asked for?"</p><p>"It will be there, Director, and my superiors have cleared the airspace around the embassy."</p><p>"Good." Harry sighed and leaned forward in his seat to signal Acevedo. "Amelia, be ready for immediate takeoff for aerial overwatch."</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Everyone get your heads in the game." Harry was already flipping through the floor plans again. "The fact that he unmasked himself for all to see does not bode well."</p><p>"November Sun," Valkyrie mused. "Why scramble the audio when he just planned on showing his face anyway?"</p><p>"Maybe he didn't plan on it at all," Ash offered. "Maybe he got caught up in the moment."</p><p>Thatcher tightened his grip on his shotgun. "Either way, we're comin' for him."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. “LOOK SHARP”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow prepares for the hostage situation at the embassy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rain had begun to fall back at Rainbow HQ, much to the dismay of the unit's recruits, who were scheduled for a 10 mile endurance run in the countryside that ultimately culminated into a breach and clear course at a makeshift killhouse in the Hereford countryside.</p><p>Finka and Kapkan hurried down the halls to join their comrades at the situation room.</p><p>"Who's taking the recruits for their run?" Lera asked.</p><p>"Capitão and Mozzie."</p><p>"Sucks for them."</p><p>"Indeed." Kapkan chanced a discreet glance at the woman walking beside him. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Don't."</p><p>The man grunted his acknowledgment. He didn't take Finka's response personally - in fact, it comforted him to see her icy demeanor still intact.</p><p>The pair rounded a final turn and neared the doors to the War Room.</p><p>"Sorry," Lera mumbled. "I just—"</p><p>"Do not worry. Let us focus on what's to come."</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>The pair walked briskly for the situation room entrance, and Finka swiped a keycard. The automatic doors parted for her. She stepped in, Kapkan repeated the process, and soon the two were welcomed inside. The room was already bustling with activity. Intel analysts were rushing about, talking swiftly on headsets and hurrying to fulfill tasks given to them by Intelligence Chief Vince Vion.</p><p>Three of the four walls were lined with screens and monitors of all sorts. The fourth wall, at the head of the situation room, was one large display that served as the central hub. It could project multiple venues of data, host 3D holograms of virtually any schematic inputted into the computer, display as many simultaneous video feeds or visual mediums as needed, and more.</p><p>An organization like Rainbow needed state-of-the-art technology to ever hope for success as a Fast Response agency.</p><p>Vince began rolling up the sleeves of his white collar business shirt. "I want the reporting media on the left side of the Hub. Matt, what's Belgium's largest news station?"</p><p>"Belga," a man replied.</p><p>"Put Belga front and center. Mute all feeds except theirs."</p><p>"Sir." The junior analyst put two fingers to his computer screen, minimized the live video report of the Belga News Agency, and swiped it left. The feed appeared instantly on the Hub's screen.</p><p>Douglas Lilly, Rainbow's CIA liaison, was on the phone near one of the coffee pots. He was talking quickly to his superiors with one hand cupped over an ear to better hear them, and he flashed Finka and Kapkan a nod in greeting.</p><p>The pair snaked their way to a cluster of large U-shaped desks with glass surfaces and multiple monitors. The surface of the desks served as digital tablets for all-purpose use, and floor plans of the Russian Embassy in Brussels were already on display.</p><p>A shockingly detailed three-dimensional hologram of the embassy was floating above a projection pedestal at the center of the work station. Dokkaebi and Maestro were already waiting.</p><p>"What do we have?" Kapkan asked.</p><p>"Potential shit-show." Maestro swiped at the screen. "Then again, that's why we get paid the big bucks, isn't it?"</p><p>Dokkaebi looked up. "Kate?"</p><p>"Connected," answered Kate Harvell from her desk. "Comms are green."</p><p>Dokkaebi nodded and put on a headset. "Guardian One is online, testing comms with team leaders. How copy?"</p><p>"Six Actual copies," came Harry's voice over the radio.</p><p>"Rainbow One-One copies," followed Ash.</p><p>"Two-One here. I've got you," Sledge finished.</p><p>"Affirmative." Dokkaebi scooted her rolling chair over so that Finka could take the empty seat beside her. "Guardian is reviewing mission site. We'll be in touch soon."</p><p>"Understood," replied Harry, "but make it quick. We're on-site in ten minutes."</p><p>It was virtually impossible to formulate a safe, foolproof plan to tackle such a mission on such short notice... but Rainbow was the best of the best, and former Director Aurelia Arnot had implemented her "Guardian Protocol" after the Ceuta incident a couple years prior.</p><p>During a battle, two pairs of eyes were always favored over one. This simple principle birthed the Guardian Protocol, which was the practice of having a third Rainbow team in place to act as another set of eyes and skills to further assist the teams on-site in completing their objectives.</p><p>While designated Rainbow operators were en route to a mission - in this case, Ash and Sledge's teams - Dokkaebi and her squad were tasked with overwatch.</p><p>Finka and Kapkan quickly got themselves sorted, and soon they joined Dokkaebi and Maestro in quickly assessing all factors of the operation at hand. They hastily reviewed and discussed the floor plan, marking key points of interest and concerns for their colleagues across the English Channel.</p><p>The more highly trained personnel there was to analyze a mission site, the less of a chance there was for key factors to be overlooked.</p><p>That was, at least, the idea. It was up to Finka and the others now to be there for their companions.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>OUTSIDE THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY<br/>
AVENUE DE FRÉ 66, 1180<br/>
UCCLE, BRUSSELS - BELGIUM</p><p>The transport helicopter touched down in the street near the Russian Embassy. Liam and his Belgian DSU comrades exited, and Harry and his operators followed quickly.</p><p>Crowds had already gathered, and police were forcing a few overly-curious onlookers back behind caution tape that had been set up around the entirety of the embassy, a healthy distance from its walls.</p><p>The Rainbow operators' identities were hidden behind the masks and multicam uniforms they wore, complete with Belgian flags and DSU patches. The unknown men and women walked briskly for the site's makeshift HQ - in this case, a large trailer next to two Police Intervention armored trucks.</p><p>Dokkaebi voice was suddenly in their headphones. "Six Actual, this is Guardian Two. We've highlighted all access points, and a few areas of concern - particularly a T-intersection in a large open area on the second floor. Forwarding now."</p><p>"Understood," Harry answered. "Send it. Look sharp, everyone. We're on the clock."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. “SAFETIES OFF”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow takes positions around the embassy while the terrorists plan their next move.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Introductions were quick. Harry shook hands with Lieutenant Colonel Maes of the DSU before introducing him to Ash and Sledge.</p><p>Glaz wasted no time in crossing the street to the neighboring bank to the southeast, informing his colleagues that he would notify them when he was in position. He was escorted by two police officers, and the bank manager was thankfully quick to understand and comply.</p><p>The Rainbow operators circled the hood of a police cruiser, where blueprints of the embassy had been spread out.</p><p>Ash and Sledge headed the meeting while Harry, Lt. Col. Maes, Liam, and other DSU officers looked on.</p><p>"Acevedo is already up in the air," Ash murmured. "She said she's going to maintain a good height to remain out of sight of windows."</p><p>"We haven't had eyes on any tangos since we arrived," Maes informed. "They've taken care to stay out of sight and away from windows."</p><p>Nøkk nudged Ash. "I can get in through the rooftop access and hide in the shadows until needed."</p><p>"We'll drone it and go from there," Sledge answered. "A solo element could be useful."</p><p>Liam folded his arms. "Our men can provide cover for your insertion." He gestured over his shoulder. "We have enough personnel to have a shooter with eyes on every window."</p><p>Ash nodded. "Will be nice to have those windows out of the equation. You copy that, Glaz?"</p><p>"Da. Setting up on the third floor of the bank. The southeast corner of the embassy is straight in from my perch, 45 degree angle. Clear line of sight of both the north and east walls."</p><p>"Copy. Stand by." Ash adjusted the balaclava she wore, and cast an annoyed glance over her shoulder at the crowds of onlookers and news cameras. "We're good to go. Be sneaky with those drones, determine the hostages' positions, keep an eye out for bombs. Ping any traps for Guardian so they can highlight them on the operational map."</p><p>Everyone conducted a final gear check. Glaz kept a steady eye on things through his scope from across the street to the southeast. Nøkk adjusted the veil she wore before going dark and stealthily moving towards the embassy through trees and foliage. Maverick covered her.</p><p>The remaining operators deployed their drones, taking positions around the exterior of the embassy. Twitch was the only one who sent her drone inside, and she stared intently at her screen as she navigated the embassy lobby. "Lobby's clear."</p><p>"Nothing on thermal," Glaz murmured.</p><p>Lion positioned his RC drone outside a parking garage entrance before unzipping his backpack and pulling out his aerial surveillance drone with a grunt. He set it on the grass, activated it with the push of a button, and the drone hummed to life before hovering in place inches above the ground.</p><p>"All units, EE-ONE-D is going up for surveillance." Lion's declaration was both an informative statement and a warning. "Griffon Two-Six, you copy?"</p><p>"Affirmative," came Acevedo from her helicopter above the embassy. "Thanks for the heads-up. Highlighted on my radar. I'll steer clear."</p><p>Sledge hoisted his assault rifle and checked the mag a final time before slapping it back into the magwell. "Safeties off. Show's about to start on your go, Ash."</p><p>"Safeties off," Ash echoed. "Roger that. Command, stand by for initiation."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Inside the embassy, Yegor Federov sat in a luxurious leather chair in the Ambassador's Office. His AK-74 leaned idly against the desk.</p><p>He stared at the 5-kopek nickel coin pinched between his fingers before closing his eyes. This was the end of his road. His men didn't know it yet, but Yegor had led them to their mission with no intention of ever living through it.</p><p>The man looked at the ski mask that he had taken off while filming the video sent to the police. He hoped Matvei would call soon - Yegor wanted one last conversation with his brother before going through with the mission.</p><p>Someone tapped on the door lightly. A masked man wearing body armor and carrying a Bizon submachine gun soon entered. "Sir. Hostages are under control, but they're getting restless. One was particularly troublesome."</p><p>Yegor looked up. "Was?"</p><p>"Sergei knocked him out and isolated him." The man shifted on his feet. "Didn't kill him."</p><p>Yegor nodded. "Fine. Are the others in position, Petr?"</p><p>"Yes, sir. They're waiting for the order." Petr scratched at his jaw beneath his mask. "That helicopter that just landed has more DSU. Around 15, 20. Petra said there's another helo circling above us, pretty high up. Also, one of their people just sent a drone of some sort up into the air, and it's hovering above the embassy."</p><p>"A drone?" Yegor asked. "Is it armed?"</p><p>"Don't know, sir, but I have to assume it is. They'll probably send robots or something first. What do you want us to do?"</p><p>"The time draws near. Get back to your post. Check the defenses at rooftop and the basement and keep the hostages in line." Yegor stood. "Good work, Petr."</p><p>The masked henchman stepped out of the Ambassador's Office, and Yegor's phone vibrated softly as the door shut. He saw the Caller ID and took a deep breath before answering. "Алло."</p><p>"Yegor. Are things in place?"</p><p>"They are."</p><p>The line was quiet for a long moment. "Well done, little brother. Tania would be proud of you."</p><p>Yegor eyed his rifle. "I miss her, Matvei," he whispered.</p><p>"I do too."</p><p>More silence ensued, and the gravity of what was to come began to weigh on the two brothers. Yegor felt like his heart was an anchor pulling him into the earth, and his brother's unspoken silence told him that Matvei was feeling the same.</p><p>"I'm sorry I'm not there with you," Matvei murmured. "You're doing us all a great service. You'll be remembered forever."</p><p>"We both will," said Yegor softly. He bowed his head. "For Tania. For our friends. I'll see you on the other side, Matty."</p><p>"Soon. Good-bye, Yegor."</p><p>The line clicked dead. Yegor scooped up his rifle and wondered if this was where most people would have shed a tear or two.</p><p>He had stopped crying long ago.</p><p>Yegor Federov scooped up his radio. "Five minutes," he called. "Get the hostages into the front lobby."</p><p>The man did not see the RSD Model 1 Shock Drone watching him silently from a floor-level ventilation opening in the shadows of two tall filing cabinets.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. “GOOD PRESS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry has some concerns. Rainbow moves in, and Nøkk breaks off for a solo insertion.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emanuelle "Twitch" Pichon watched her drone screen intently. "Did you all hear that?"</p><p>"Golden opportunity," came Thatcher. "All friendlies in one place? Say no more."</p><p>Rook let a huge satchel slide off his shoulder and fall to the street with a hefty thud. "Pass those plates around."</p><p>Everyone obeyed and hastily strapped on the Rhino heavy-grade body armor vests.</p><p>Nøkk finished first, and she approached Ash. "Request green light for rooftop entry. Solo."</p><p>Even though she was already nodding her approval, Ash still looked to Sledge. The man's nod echoed her own. She adjusted the balaclava she wore and touched a finger to her earpiece, habitually checking the reception. "All elements: Nøkk is proceeding solo, rooftop. Stack up for insertion on northeast corner. Standby and await further orders."</p><p>A chorus of affirmatives responded, and Ash did a final mag check on her assault rifle before walking over to Harry. "Harry, our cheerleaders are going to make things difficult."</p><p>Harry looked up at the news helicopters circling above, and the media vans and their crews dispersed throughout the gathering crowds on the opposing sidewalks. "I'll see what I can do. Go."</p><p>Ash turned to her teammates and raised a gloved hand, twirling a finger in circles. "Let's move. Squad One, on me."</p><p>"Squad Two, stay close," came Sledge, making sure his hammer was fastened securely. "Keep it tight. Eyes open."</p><p>As the Rainbow teams rushed across the street, Harry thumbed his nose against the cold and gestured to Lt. Col. Maes. "Might I have a quick word?"</p><p>The Belgian commander's jaw clenched, but he nodded. "What is it?"</p><p>Harry took care to look strong and confident without appearing overbearing and aggressive. He folded his arms and took a few offbeat steps away from the makeshift command post, and Lt. Col. Maes followed.</p><p>When they were out of earshot of Maes's men, Harry squared himself at the embassy, watching his operators rush across the street towards the northwest entrance, near where the hostages were being held inside. Belgian DSU operatives covered their advance with an impressive amount of scopes and sights, all trained on the building as Rainbow moved forward.</p><p>Harry inhaled the cold air mightily. "The media presence needs to be gone immediately, Lieutenant Colonel."</p><p>"As I stated before, my—"</p><p>"-superiors want to put on a show for the public to make themselves look good. I remember." Harry faced Maes. "Such vanity puts the lives of our operatives and the innocents inside at risk."</p><p>"I hear you, Director Six."</p><p>"It's irresponsible, and I assure you that I will order my people to pack it up and leave before I order an assault under such circumstances. All the insurgents inside need is a smart phone to access a live news feed. They could be watching me speak to you right now."</p><p>"I'm aware."</p><p>Harry stepped closer to stand toe-to-toe with the DSU commander, and he stared at him with icy eyes despite being a head shorter. "This is all fucking unacceptable. Fix it, or we walk, and I will do so with a clear conscience, Lieutenant Colonel. There are innocent lives at stake here, and I will not have them all jeopardized by someone's desire to extract good press."</p><p>If Lt. Col. Maes was shaken, he did not show it. The man rubbed his chin. "I will do what I can."</p><p>"Thank you. I just want to help, but politics has no place at this table." Harry softened his stance and turned his attention back to the embassy. "If your people are so concerned about redeeming their reputation, tell them that refusing my request will not earn them any favor with my superiors. That includes many key officials at both the UN and NATO."</p><p>"You've made your point, Director. Allow me to make a call."</p><p>Lt. Col. Maes stalked off with his cell phone in hand. Harry rubbed his hands together briskly before un-muting his mic, and he brought his tablet up to his face so it covered his mouth and chin. It was best to be safe and hide his words from any would-be spies or onlookers. "All units, this is Six Actual. Our Belgian friends are seeing about getting rid of the media presence. Is everyone in place?"</p><p>"One-One confirms: ready to move," came Ash.</p><p>Sledge's voice followed. "Two-One confirms: we're good to go."</p><p>Harry nodded. "Wait to breach on my command. I leave the rest to you."</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"We've got this, Harry."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Ash, Montagne, Twitch, Thatcher, Nøkk, and Maverick were stacked around the corner near the embassy's side entrance, hugging the wall with their eyes and weapons pointed in all directions. Sledge, Valkyrie, Lion, Rook, and Doc were paces behind them.</p><p>"Lot of fucking windows." Ash was crouched, and she shifted her weight to her other knee. "Glaz, how we lookin'?"</p><p>"Clear," Glaz answered from afar. "Still nothing."</p><p>"Roger." Ash craned her neck to look back over her shoulder. "Twitch, did our tango leave that office yet?"</p><p>Twitch's eyes were on the screen at her wrist. "Negative. Not sure what he's waiting for, but I think we can confirm he's the bossman."</p><p>"Agreed. Keep your eyes on him." The woman sighed and watched the steps ahead leading to an open porch, where two double doors awaited. "Nøkk, I like you for a third element."</p><p>The veiled woman nodded her acknowledgment.</p><p>Ash tugged on her balaclava again, wishing she didn't have to wear it. "Guardian, this is Ash. Any points of insertion as an alternative to rooftop access? Over."</p><p>"Affirmative," Finka answered, her voice punctuated by the subtle crackling of radio static.</p><p>"Large balcony on the third floor, northside. Leads to a hallway and offices. Be advised, curtain windows lining that wall near the entrance. Floor to ceiling. Would recommend rooftop access instead. Nearest fire escape back behind you around the southwest corner of the building, over."</p><p>"Copy that. Ash, out." Ash turned to Nøkk. "You're up. Get to the rooftop."</p><p>"Roger that." Nøkk scurried west, keeping low and staying close to the building. No matter what cameras might have been watching, none of them would catch her on their feed.</p><p>She was finally being utilized as a solo element on-mission, and as she tightened her grip on her FMG-9 submachine gun, she smiled beneath her veil.</p><p>Nøkk would not have had it any other way.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. “GOING DARK”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow assesses the situation. Nøkk goes dark.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Valkyrie was standing and leaning into the embassy wall behind Montagne, who already had his shield ready. "Guardian, this is Valkyrie. You got me? Over."</p><p>"Guardian Actual copies," came Kate Harvell.</p><p>"Can you patch the embassy surveillance cams to my feed, ASAP?"</p><p>"Give me twenty seconds."</p><p>"Roger." Valkyrie crouched in Montagne's shadow. "I'm on cams," she announced. "Looks like they've already moved the hostages into the front lobby."</p><p>"Bossman still hasn't left that office," said Twitch. "He's Llooking distressed. Pacing around, muttering some shit I can't make out."</p><p>Ash looked across the street to the HQ tent, where Harry was standing with Lt. Col. Maes and other members of the DSU. "Whatever is about to go down in that lobby isn't good. That DSU commander better hurry the fuck up."</p><p>"I've got eyes on the lobby." Valkyrie's fingers moved quickly on her tablet screen. She expanded the camera feed to the embassy lobby and minimized multiple other surveillance feeds on the first and second floors. "Six Actual, recommend action soon."</p><p>"What do you see?"</p><p>"I have at least ten hostiles onscreen in the lobby. Three dozen hostages, maybe more. Please be advised: don't know how much time we have. Tangos look impatient. Over."</p><p>"Understood," came Harry. "Sit tight. Six, out."</p><p>The Rainbow operators shifted uncomfortably in their positions, and Ash muttered her discontent with the Belgian politics in play.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Nøkk was already on the roof, and she detached her rappelling harness before letting it fall at her feet. She jogged for the rooftop emergency access stairwell, her steps light upon the concrete, and deactivated her HEL cloaking device to conserve more battery for maneuvers once she was inside.</p><p>She slowed to a stop near the heavy door. Perhaps someone had left it unlocked? The woman tried to ease it open.</p><p>No such luck, but worth the try.</p><p>"I'm at the rooftop access - requesting permission for soft breach."</p><p>"Negative," said Ash. "Be advised, Teams 1 and 2 still holding position as ordered. Repeat, we are not cleared for breach."</p><p>Everyone's earpieces crackled. "All elements, this is Six Actual. Go to secure channel Alpha."</p><p>All Rainbow members present, including Acevedo up in her helicopter, switched radio channels immediately.</p><p>Harry's voice was low. "Listen up: I still haven't heard anything about the media withdrawing from the scene. I don't know if they will. Now, we've already been cleared to take action. There's a lot of scared people inside that embassy, and we don't know how much time they have left. Copy that?"</p><p>Ash and Sledge confirmed.</p><p>"Nøkk, you're up," continued Harry. "See if you can get down to their leader and subdue him. From what I can tell, the men in the lobby are waiting for his orders. If you can get to him and cut him off from the others, that might buy time for our hostages. Copy?"</p><p>"Message received," Nøkk replied.</p><p>"Ash, hold your team at current position." They all heard Harry cough over the radio. "Sorry. Sledge, take Team Two around the corner to the east side of the building and await orders."</p><p>"Roger that," Sledge responded. He, Valkyrie, Lion, Rook, and Doc moved swiftly to comply.</p><p>"I want to avoid a hard breach into the lobby if possible. Too many variables." Harry paused. "If it comes to it, be ready. You all know what to do. I leave the rest to you. Six, out."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Nøkk enjoyed lockpicking. There was something therapeutic about it for her, and she practiced quite often on-base. The skill was occasionally invaluable in the field, and as she worked two picks together into the lock of the rooftop access door, the woman smiled.</p><p>Bandit was always giving her shit about picking locks as a hobby. She looked forward to returning to base and rubbing this one in his face.</p><p>"One thing at a time," she murmured. Seconds later, the final two pins of the lock clicked aside, and Nøkk readied her suppressed SMG before easing the door open.</p><p>"I'm inside," she whispered.</p><p>"Nøkk, you've got a three-story stairwell," came Kate Harvell, "and it winds downward to a basement level. Target tango is on the second floor. We'll keep you updated."</p><p>"Copy that. Thanks, Guardian."</p><p>"Bossman hasn't moved," Twitch informed. "He's set his weapon down. Looks like he's texting someone."</p><p>"Moving." Nøkk gently closed the door behind her. "Please keep radio chatter to a minimum. I'll keep you posted. Going dark."</p><p>The woman prowled down the stairwell, gun ready and senses sharp. She was careful to keep her steps light upon the concrete stairs, and she reached the second floor without incident.</p><p>Nøkk knelt to the second story access and produced a fiber-optic snake cam from her pack. She slipped the cable carefully under the door and checked the lens to scope out the other side.</p><p>The coast was clear. Through the camera, she saw open cubicles and offices spread out across the room beyond the closed door. Dozens of potential hiding places for hostiles, but they were all likely down on the first floor, in the lobby as ordered.</p><p>Her drone could not fit under the doorway, so Nøkk cracked the door open just enough to set her drone down on the floor inside before closing it again.</p><p>"Drone out." She knelt on one knee and watched her tablet's screen as she steered it through the second floor offices of the embassy. "Workspaces are deserted. Computers are still on. Signs of struggle here and there. No bodies, thankfully. No sign of hostiles."</p><p>"Copy that," Ash responded.</p><p>Satisfied that the large room beyond the door was clear, Nøkk stowed her tablet, stood, and readied her weapon. "Entering second floor offices. Activating HEL."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. “PHANTOM”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nøkk makes her move.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunlight streamed through the windows and partially-open blinds, casting a surreal glow across the second floor offices. Displaced papers, spilled coffee, a toppled office chair, and other disturbances were the only hints that something was amiss.</p><p>Nøkk knew she didn't have much time, and she crept through the cubicles and small hallways, keeping low and sweeping every corner carefully.</p><p>She glanced down at the HUD on her wrist display. Guardian had pinged the room that the terrorist leader - or "Bossman," as Twitch had named him - and it glowed red on the display's small minimap.</p><p>Twenty meters separated Nøkk from the terrorist leader.</p><p>Bossman could give the order to execute every hostage in the lobby without ever getting up from the chair he sat in.</p><p>He could be giving the order now.</p><p>Nøkk moved swiftly. Her strong legs helped her stay low to the ground as she did, absorbing the impact of each step enough to make her nearly silent.</p><p>She was in her element. This was where she really shined - operating alone allowed her to act as the shadow she preferred to be.</p><p>The woman halted at the end of a cluster of open floor offices. Desks, monitors and chairs were neatly placed throughout the large room, but no cubicles or dividers separated them.</p><p>Just ahead, a large executive office stretched along the far wall. where Nøkk knew Bossman was currently hiding behind closed doors. The blinds that were drawn across the large windows were partially open, and the light on inside illuminated the shadow of a man pacing about.</p><p>Nøkk checked her six before crouching behind a nearby desk, safely out of view of any would-be patrols, and deactivated her HEL cloak. "Ten meters to target," she whispered. "Eyes on the office. He's isolated. Awaiting orders, over."</p><p>"Copy," Ash answered over the radio. "Move to subdue. If we have their leader in custody, we might be able to control the narrative here."</p><p>"Received. Stand by." As Nøkk inched towards the closed door, she knew her fellow operators would be waiting with bated breath... failure here could mean a forced hot breach down in the lobby.</p><p>Nobody wanted that.</p><p>She crept forward. The door was a pace away now, and Nøkk shouldered her SMG, opting for the lighter weight of her suppressed Desert Eagle.</p><p>She dialed in her focus and took a deep breath.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Yegor Federov sat at the desk in the executive office with his hands clasped together. He bowed his head reverently, staring at the grains of wood on the desktop.</p><p>He and Matvei had spent so much of their adult lives implementing what was about to happen. It seemed like only yesterday that he had hugged his brother in front of the Beslan Memorial Statue in St. Petersburg a month after their high school graduation, and the two had made their pact.</p><p>The pact.</p><p>Yegor let out a whoosh of air. So many years had all come down to this. It was time for the world to know their mission.</p><p>That meant it was time for his life to end.</p><p>The man took out his wallet and pulled out a weathered photo of a little girl. Dark hair, pretty brown eyes, cute smile. Yegor hadn't seen his daughter in years, and his attempts at reaching out to her mother over the last few months had all ended in vain.</p><p>"Ya lyublyu tebya, Sophie." Yegor kissed the photo and set it down in front of him on the table. "Forgive me for what I must do."</p><p>The man stood slowly. His legs felt numb, and his heartbeat quickened at what was to come. He eyed his rifle before kneeling to lift his backpack up onto the table, where the detonator was located.</p><p>A soft clicking noise behind him made Yegor jump in surprise. He turned swiftly to see the office door burst open, and a veiled figure dressed in tactical gear glided for him like a phantom.</p><p>Yegor's heart leapt up into his mouth. He knew he couldn't reach his rifle in time.</p><p>His hand shot to the knife sheathed at his waist.</p><p>Something snapped in the air. Yegor yelped in pain when a dart from Twitch's shock drone seared into his leg, and a burst of electricity washed over him like a wave. He slumped backward across the desk.</p><p>The man instinctively tried to shout, but the intruder pressed the handgun's silencer to Yegor's neck, and he coughed against the impact. A gloved hand smothered his mouth.</p><p>"Do not shout. Do not move. Do you understand?"</p><p>Yegor's eyes widened in surprise. A woman?</p><p>"Blink if you understand."</p><p>Yegor did. He then winced as Nøkk pressed her handgun even harder against him.</p><p>"You move, I shoot you," she whispered. "Do not fucking move. I won't say it again." The woman reached down to Yegor's waist and stripped him of his knife, and in another quick motion she undid the safety clasp of his holster and lifted his handgun from it. She ejected the magazine, pulled the slide back to empty the chamber, and tossed the firearm away once the remaining bullet fell to the floor.</p><p>"All units be advised, HVT is in custody. Good shot, Twitch."</p><p>
  <i>"Merci."</i>
</p><p>"Doesn't look like his comrades know anything is happening," came Sledge. "Let's keep it that way."</p><p>Nøkk released her hold on Yegor. "Twitch, watch him for me?"</p><p>"Got you covered."</p><p>Nøkk scooped up the man's assault rifle and disarmed it like she had done with his handgun. She seized his radio from the pouch on the front of his tactical vest before holstering her handgun and drawing her SMG, which she pointed at Yegor. "Stay."</p><p>The man spat at her grudgingly, but said nothing.</p><p>Nøkk strolled to the other end of the office and flicked off the lights before leaning against the wall in the shadows. She kept her FMG-9 steadied at Yegor with one hand, and cupped the other hand around her mouth to muffle her speech while she talked.</p><p>Yegor watched her, not daring to move. The veiled woman looked like a damned ghost.</p><p>After a moment, the woman straightened and approached him, never idling the barrel of her weapon away from his chest.</p><p>She held up his radio. "You're going to help me, now," she murmured in a deathly whisper, "and if you do not, I will cause you great pain."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. “THREATS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry’s concerns are addressed. Nøkk threatens the enemy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>DSU Lieutenant Colonel Maes looked at Harry sternly. "That sounds risky, Director Six."</p><p>"Risk is what our work revolves around, is it not?"</p><p>"I don't like it." Maes folded his arms and cast a look around him at the gathered police and DSU counter-terrorist units. "We have scores of men. We could breach from all sides. You have your drones, yes?"</p><p>"Lieutenant Colonel, I don't think—"</p><p>"We get eyes on the lobby. We cut power. Flood the lobby with tear gas, move in and drop any hostiles that resist."</p><p>"That is our last-ditch option," Harry replied, shaking his head. "Your government called us because they wanted other options. That's what we're giving them."</p><p>Maes shrugged. "Fine. As long as we get those people out of there safe and sound, Director, I'll be happy. I just hope your man inside knows what he's doing."</p><p>Harry didn't bother informing Maes that Nøkk was, in fact, a woman. "We do this carefully, sir, and all will be well. I have the utmost confidence in my operatives."</p><p>Maes put a hand to his headset. "Are they?" he said aloud, turning from Harry and looking up to the sky. The news helicopters up above had begun to ease off location. "Excellent. Get those fucking news vans out of here, too. If anyone has a problem, tell them it's for their safety." Maes looked to Harry and jabbed a thumb up to the sky. "Your request has been heeded. Media choppers have been ordered to clear the airspace, and I've been given the go-ahead to push back the media presence on the ground."</p><p>"Good to hear. Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel."</p><p>Lt. Col. Maes barked some orders in Dutch to his men. Some adjusted their positions. Others broke off from the firing line to assist the police in pushing back the civilian onlookers and news crews. "I must say, Director, I am disappointed that my superiors take your recommendations more seriously than they take mine."</p><p>Harry frowned. "Don't take it personally. My organization has some pull on the international theater. That's all."</p><p>"If you say so." Maes grinned wryly. "Let us hope the rest of the day goes as smoothly."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Nøkk watched Yegor carefully. "Is everyone in place?" she asked over the radio.</p><p>"Team One is stacked up and ready to move," came Ash.</p><p>"Team Two is ready," Sledge answered. "Awaiting your mark."</p><p>"Understood." Nøkk angled her weapon precariously at Yegor's face. "Valkyrie, you able to work with the frequency I gave you?"</p><p>"Yup. Almost done routing the feed to HQ. We'll have ears on the tangos' radio comms in ten seconds."</p><p>"Copy that. Get ready. Out." Nøkk tilted her veiled head at the man before her. "English?"</p><p>Yegor glared at her. "Fuck you."</p><p>Nøkk strode forward, drew her combat knife, and flicked it to the man's ear. He froze when she touched the sharp edge to the top of his outer ear, where it joined with the side of his head.</p><p>"Listen to me very carefully," the woman whispered. "Think of all the ugly, awful things I could do to you with this knife."</p><p>"I'm ready to die," Yegor spat. "I'm not afraid of you."</p><p>Nøkk stared at him for a long, silent moment with such intensity that the man finally looked away from her, unwilling to meet her stare.</p><p>"Think," she continued, "of the parts of you I could saw off. Of the places I could wedge a blade in. Under. Between. And then, I want you to think of your family."</p><p>Yegor's gaze flashed upward. "What?"</p><p>"Sophie," Twitch's voice added hastily in Nøkk's ear. "He has a daughter named Sophie."</p><p>Nøkk leered at the man. "Sophie is your daughter, yes?"</p><p>Yegor cocked his head. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"</p><p>Nøkk slammed the butt of her weapon into his face. The impact broke his nose, and blood spattered up and into the air as his head whipped back. She seized him by the collar and mercilessly forced his head upright again. "You are going to do exactly as I say, and you have my word: your daughter will not be harmed."</p><p>Yegor spat blood. He was dazed, but he straightened where he sat. "If my men don't hear from me soon, it'll be too late for you." He grinned. "Too late for both of us."</p><p>"It's a good thing your men are going to hear from you then." Nøkk held up Yegor's radio and gently waved it back and forth. "You are going to instruct your men to release the hostages."</p><p>The man scoffed at her. "They'd never buy that. They would know something is wrong. I would never give that order."</p><p>Nøkk brought the point of her knife up under Yegor's jaw. "Then what order can you give?"</p><p>Yegor stared up at her. "I... you can't possibly ask me to—"</p><p>"Sophie depends on you, now. Your actions today will determine her fate."</p><p>Yegor's face was hauntingly vacant, seemingly unaffected by the woman's threat.</p><p>"You have no idea who I work for," Nøkk continued. "Now stop wasting my time and work with me here. I can get you a deal when this is all over."</p><p>"Better kill me." The man's eyes were on fire with a light that Nøkk knew well. "I'll cut your fucking throat if you so much as—"</p><p>His words were cut off by a savage undercut to his ribs. As Yegor doubled over in pain, Nøkk gripped his head and jolted her knee upward. The impact caught him on the chin, and the man cried out in pain as she shoved him back to the desk.</p><p>She pressed her knife to his throat and hovered over him menacingly. "If you want your daughter to stay alive," she hissed, "cooperate."</p><p>Yegor spat more blood, and he chuckled. "You don't realize you've already lost." He wiped more blood from his nose and stared up at her.</p><p>He grinned. Nøkk realized something was wrong.</p><p>"Sophie is already gone," the man uttered, his voice ragged. "We lost her to cancer. And now, you try to leverage my dead daughter against me?"</p><p>Yegor Federov leapt up and charged Nøkk with the last of his strength. He barreled into her with such force that she reeled backwards and fell.</p><p>He fell with her, his heavy frame crushing her to the ground. Nøkk had speared her handgun's suppressor into his gut and pulled the trigger.</p><p>The woman rolled the man's dead weight off with a grunt and pressed herself up. "All elements," she managed breathlessly, "Bossman is down. Repeat: Tsar is KIA."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. “SHOTS FIRED”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Circumstances get even more complicated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Glaz had repositioned to the second floor of the bank across the street, in one of the loan offices. After evacuating the bank hours earlier, DSU sharpshooters had taken positions on the rooftop above.</p><p>Timur had his scope fixed on the front lobby. The blinds and shutters had been drawn and closed across the large floor-to-ceiling windows.</p><p>A lesser-experienced shooter would have been frustrated. Glaz, however, was used to zero visibility situations. It was all about being in the right place at the right time.</p><p>A veteran's sixth sense went a long way, too. Coupled with experience and the ability to anticipate situational flow, it was as much a part of the job as his rifle.</p><p>With the help of Dokkaebi and Finka back at HQ, Valkyrie had stealthily tapped into the terrorist's radio comms... and it had sounded like Nøkk's efforts were paying off.</p><p>Things had gone well until Nøkk's urgent transmission informing them all that Tsar was KIA. With the hostile leader eliminated, the operation entered murky waters.</p><p>It was highly likely that Tsar's men would execute the hostages if they learned their leader had been killed.</p><p>The situation was delicate.</p><p>"All units," came Ash, "get ready to move. Nøkk, confirm: Bossman is down?"</p><p>"Affirmative. I had no choice." She was whispering into her radio. "I do not think any hostiles have been alerted. I hid the body and am holding position for further orders."</p><p>"Roger. Valkyrie, talk to me."</p><p>"I've still got eyes on the lobby. Tangos haven't moved, but two of them near the elevators are getting agitated. I think they're worried about their boss. Too far away for audio."</p><p>Glaz got to his feet with a grunt and hoisted his OTs-03 sniper rifle. "This is Glaz. Relocating to ground level to provide cover for breach."</p><p>"Copy that. Hurry. We don't have much time."</p><p>"Understood." Glaz was already out in the bank's main hallway. He ran for the emergency stairwell, his footsteps echoing off the tile and empty walls. The man jogged down the stairs with astonishing speed and burst through the doors into the first floor offices. The sniper zig-zagged through cubicles and desks before finally reaching the double doors leading into the bank lobby.</p><p>A group of bank security guards in the middle of the marble-floored lobby jumped in alarm as Glaz barreled in through the entrance, his momentum flinging the doors open.</p><p>He slowed his pace as he jogged by them. "Might want to get to your posts," he called, turning to them while backpedaling on his heels towards the bank's front doors. "It's about to get hot."</p><p>One of the officers, a blonde woman crouched over an open duffel bag, nodded. The three men standing around her watched Glaz before returning their gazes down to the clustered gear bags on the floor.</p><p>Glaz continued jogging for the front doors, but he slowed his pace. Frowned.</p><p>Something was off.</p><p>He turned around.</p><p>The woman and two of the other officers were already running to the emergency stairwell, from where Glaz had come; the last officer was pulling on a large, heavy-grade flak jacket over his uniform, and kneeling to scoop up a PKM light machine gun with a short, compact barrel.</p><p>Glaz's eyes widened. "Suka."</p><p>The armored man turned with his LMG leveled.</p><p>Glaz dove behind one of the tall marble columns in the lobby just as the machine gun rattled off its rounds. A steady stream of gunfire erupted in a deafening cadence, reverberating off the walls of the bank lobby.</p><p>"Shots fired!" Glaz called into the radio urgently. "First floor, bank lobby. New hostile element. I repeat: new hostile element engaged. Military weaponry. Three other tangos unaccounted for, dressed as bank security. Repeat: hostiles were in security uniforms. Over."</p><p>Clouds of dust and chunks of marble misted in the air around him.</p><p>Glaz flipped his hybrid rifle sight to a close-quarters red dot and pressed himself to the pillar. "Need backup," he hissed. "Be advised: hostiles are wearing heavy military-grade body armor. Over."</p><p>The fire stopped. "It's too late!" the man in the flak-jacket shouted. His English was weighed by a heavy Russian accent. "Prepare yourself!"</p><p>The pin popping on one of Glaz's smoke grenades served as his reply, and he rolled it around the corner. Smoke hissed and billowed out into the lobby.</p><p>The terrorist let out a carefree laugh and resumed fire. He waved the barrel of his weapon wildly, his machine gun spitting fire and lead into the smoke around him.</p><p>Glaz answered with a single shot that pierced the cloud and slammed into the man's face.</p><p>The gunfire stopped, and the terrorist collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>"Jesus Christ," Ash murmured. "Harry, you want to put DSU on the bank to reinforce Glaz?"</p><p>"We're already on it. Take care of the hostages."</p><p>"Roger. We're moving." The woman turned to look at her team stacked up behind her. "Erik, break off and assist Glaz."</p><p>"Yup." Maverick wasted no time. He sprinted across the street for the bank with impressive speed, beelining for the front entrance. "We're coming, Glaz," he assured over the radio. "Sit tight."</p><p>Ash tilted her R4-C and toggled the laser sight. "All units: going loud. Prepare to breach the objective."</p><p>Sledge stood. "We'll take the objective from the east. I'll get two shooters on the windows. Rest of us will storm it."</p><p>Ash nodded. "Ten-Four. Holler when you're ready. Move it."</p><p>In no time, Sledge and his team had posted on the east side of the embassy front lobby - Lion and Rook had roped up and held position above two large windows, while Sledge, Valkyrie and Doc stacked up on the side door.</p><p>Around the corner on the south side of the embassy, Ash, Twitch, Montagne, and Thatcher stacked up on either side of the main front entrance.</p><p>Ash checked her watch. "Lion: on my mark, trigger your drone. Thatcher will deploy his EMP grenades. Team 1 will breach. Montagne will take point to draw fire. Team 2 will breach four seconds after we enter. Everyone copy?"</p><p>Hurried replies answered her, and Ash began her countdown.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. “FLASHING LIGHTS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow executes its assault.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Petr Tverdovsky stood near the ground-level emergency access stairwell. He cradled his Bizon in his arms, bracing it across his chest as he surveyed the embassy lobby.</p><p>Scores of men and women were lying face down on the floor. An eerie chorus of hushed, frantic prayers, sniveling, shushed cries and the occasional cough drew a strange, quiet curtain across the lobby. His comrades were stationed throughout the area, dutifully watching their hostages with tense gazes and guns pointed.</p><p>Another armed man strolled up to Petr, one hand habitually resting on the stock of his rifle. "Where is Yegor?" he whispered.</p><p>Petr shifted his weight. "I don't know."</p><p>"He tells us all to meet here. Changes the plan suddenly - for what?" the other man asked lowly. "He's not even here! The hell is he doing?"</p><p>"Calm yourself."</p><p>"Something's wrong, comrade. Why—"</p><p>Petr turned and stepped up to his companion menacingly. "Will you fucking calm down?" he hissed. "Don't let the hostages sense your fear."</p><p>"Fear? I'm not scared. I'm—"</p><p>"Shut it. If Yegor heard you, he'd kill you himself. Get the fuck back to your post, Nikolai."</p><p>Petr could see anger flashing in Nikolai's eyes, like embers from beneath his balaclava. "I'm just saying maybe we should check on him, Petr. That's all."</p><p>"Fine. Go."</p><p>Nikolai snorted, but obeyed nevertheless. The man returned to his station near one of the waiting rooms, his frustration obvious in the swagger of his steps.</p><p>Petr clenched his jaw and put his hand to his radio. Niko was a pain in the ass, but he wasn't wrong.</p><p>"Yegor," Petr chanced, "do you copy?" He could see some of his comrades venture curious looks at him from across the lobby.</p><p>Silence met his inquiry.</p><p>Petr turned on his heel and strode cautiously into the emergency stairwell. He leaned slightly to look upstairs, then leaned the other way to look downstairs. "Yegor - status check. Over."</p><p>Nothing. Perhaps Yegor's radio had died?</p><p>Not likely.</p><p>Petr leveled his submachine gun at his hip. He was about to announce his departure from the lobby to go upstairs and check on Yegor when a chorus of muffled gunshots rattled off in the distance.</p><p>He froze. Gripped his Bizon SMG. Ignored the chill of adrenaline that washed over him the best he could.</p><p>"Shots fired across the street," came one of his companions over the radio. "No contact here. Embassy still clear."</p><p>Petr bit his lip. The second November Sun team had begun its mission across the street in the bank. Where the fuck was Yegor?</p><p>"All units, I'm going to check on Yegor. Stay on your guard. Petr, out."</p><p>He had barely jogged up the first staircase when an explosion erupted in the lobby, shaking the marble steps beneath his boots.</p><p>Petr's comrades shouted warnings. Men and women screamed as the lobby was filled with a strange blue light, and all electricity vanished in a shower of sparks and sizzling static.</p><p>The emergency access stairwell was shrouded in darkness.</p><p>"The fuck?" Petr breathed. He bounded down the steps and chanced a glance around the corner.</p><p>As he did, he could hear metallic canisters clinking across the marble tile of the embassy lobby.</p><p>Petr's eyes widened. "Watch ou—"</p><p>His words were most to a series of small explosions as flashbang grenades popped off seemingly everywhere. Bright flashes of light erupted across the lobby. Civilians were screaming. Petr's brothers-in-arms were screaming.</p><p>Petr retreated back into the stairwell, shocked by the flashbangs. He was lucky to be far from the concussive blasts, but a charcoal image of the lobby still seemed to be burned permanently into his retinas. His ears buzzed with incessant ringing.</p><p>Stunned, the man leaned against the wall and aimed his Bizon at the door. Petr blinked frantically, unable to see clearly through the darkness of the sudden power outage coupled with his flashed vision.</p><p>Shots popped off in the lobby, echoing wickedly off the walls. A man cried out in pain. The sound of a body collapsing to the floor reached his ears, followed by the telltale clatter of a firearm bouncing across the tile.</p><p>Petr heard a barrage of Kalashnikov gunshots as his comrades returned fire. The man gritted his teeth and ventured another peek through the doorway.</p><p>Dust filled the lobby, and a large shadow seemed to be sailing through the chaos. Sparks of angry bullets colliding with the shadow lit the room like fireworks. Muzzle flashes to the left and right of the ghostly form sputtered relentlessly.</p><p>It was then that Petr realized the shadow was a massive ballistic shield, and the wielder's companions were flowing with him as one wave. Red lasers pierced the dusty mist.</p><p>And then, lightning struck a second time.</p><p>Some of the barricaded windows on the east side of the lobby suddenly shattered, destroyed by controlled explosions.</p><p>As the breach charges erupted above, the eastern emergency exit imploded inward, reduced to dust and debris.</p><p>Silhouettes of operatives dressed in tactical gear rushed in. Their movements were frighteningly swift and calculated. Their weapons spit fire.</p><p>Above them, more soldiers suspended in rappelling harnesses executed an inverted descent, coming into view of the smoky windows just enough to have clear lines of sight on the lobby.</p><p>Petr sank back into the stairwell, eyes wide. His heart hammered his chest. Shouts and screams from friend, foe, and civilian echoed through the lobby beyond view.</p><p>He thought he heard a woman barking orders, but Petr did not dare give it a second thought. Desperate and without options, the man turned to flee up the stairs.</p><p>He faltered in his step when he thought he saw movement in the shadows. The wicked snap of a suppressed weapon answered his hesitation.</p><p>Petr felt the pain in his thigh before he realized he was already sinking to his knees. His SMG fell to the floor.</p><p>The last thing he saw was a veiled figure parting the shadows and gliding for him. Something heavy collided with his skull, and Petr's world faded to black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. “HEAD START”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow scrambles.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Director Six stood with his arms folded across his chest. He watched the embassy across the street intently, jaw clenched and eyes unblinking. He knew that the DSU troops around him were itching to get into the fight, and predictably, Lieutenant Colonel Mayes joined his side with an expectant air in his stance.</p><p>"We need to get in there."</p><p>Harry raised a dismissive hand as his earpiece crackled. "Lobby clear," came Ash's voice.</p><p>"The hostages?"</p><p>"I'm not seeing any friendly casualties, Harry, but there's so many in here that we could be missing something. Doc's assessing but we could use extra hands for a sweep. Nøkk took one of them alive."</p><p>Harry turned and flashed Maes a thumbs-up before pointing to the embassy. "Lobby is clear," he informed the DSU commander. "My team is asking for assistance in a sweep of the building and hostage evac."</p><p>Lt. Col. Maes nodded and immediately began radio call-outs to his company. DSU operators swung into action, their squads splitting to take pre-planned infiltration routes of the Russian Embassy.</p><p>"Well done," Harry said with a smile. "Sledge, I want Team 2 to break off and assist at the bank. Coordinate with DSU. They'll be ready for you. Team 1, remain and secure the embassy."</p><p>"Roger that," came Ash.</p><p>"Sir," Sledge answered. "Team 2 is moving."</p><p>Amidst the quiet buzz of the Rainbow helicopter slowly circling above the mission site, Harry and Maes sounded off orders, carefully coordinating their units' movements as DSU teams entered the embassy to join Rainbow Team 1, while Sledge led Team 2 out in a sprint for the bank on the opposing side of the street.</p><p>Nøkk and Thatcher were the last to emerge from the embassy. They hurried with a masked man in tow, who groggily shuffled along the best he could. Liam, the DSU liaison whose team had picked up Harry and the others at the airport, rushed forward with a pair of men to take custody of the terrorist prisoner.</p><p>"Harry," Nøkk ventured as she neared, "I'm sorry. I didn't—"</p><p>"Don't worry." Harry waved her on. "We'll talk later. Go."</p><p>"Sir." The woman sprinted after Thatcher, and as the pair rushed with their fellow operators to assist Glaz, Maverick, and the DSU, more gunshots rang out from within the bank.</p><p>Brussels police officers had hastily set up a new perimeter around the bank, and Harry watched them scramble before eyeing his wristwatch. "Guardian Actual, get us floorplans of the bank across the street, south of the embassy. Belgium United Financial."</p><p>"Already done, sir," Kate Harvell responded. "Forwarding now."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"This is Finka." Her voice sounded far away in Harry's earpiece. "Sitrep on the bank: staff and customers already evacuated. We have Brussels PD on the line. They should be sending the bank manager your way soon, Harry."</p><p>"Copy." Harry tugged down on the balaclava he wore - he hid his face just like the men and women working for him - and beckoned Lt. Col. Maes with a wave. "Your signal sounds weak, Finka. Check it."</p><p>"Roger that."</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Erik "Maverick" Thorn jogged up the staircase leading from the bank lobby to the second floor, bracing his M4 tight against his shoulder. His finger rested on the trigger, and the man passively kept his breathing controlled in a steady cadence as he reached a hallway branching to the left and right.</p><p>A dark red carpet ran the length of the hall in both directions, narrow enough to leave ornate marble tiles visible on either side at the base of the walls.</p><p>Maverick was about to ask Glaz for a sitrep when shots sounded in the distance to the right - east. Echoes boomed off the walls and coasted past Maverick, and he immediately followed the noises with both eyes open as he kept his gaze down sight. "Glaz, that you?"</p><p>"Da. Second floor, east wing. Offices. Three hostiles have barricaded themselves in a suite."</p><p>"Ascended stairs. Comin' up on your location, buddy. Hang tight."</p><p>"This is Sledge," the man injected over the radio. "Be advised, we've entered the lobby and linked up with DSU. We—"</p><p>Maverick didn't hear the rest of Sledge's words, because a shadowy figure not ten meters ahead leaned out of an open doorway, firearm in-hand.</p><p>"Fuck," Erik hissed. "Contact, corridor - second floor!"</p><p>Shots sounded and bullets zipped by. Maverick instinctively ducked and leaned into the wall on his right, squeezing off a burst of fire. His assailant ducked out of view. "Where are the rest of you?"</p><p>"Lobby," Sledge answered. "Moving with the others upstairs."</p><p>"Get a fuckin' move on, yeah?"</p><p>"Fuck you, Thorn. You had a head start."</p><p>"I deserve that." Maverick dashed a few meters forward before hurling himself through the closed door of an office, a short distance down the hall from the enemy shooter. "Taking cover in an office on the south side of the hall."</p><p>"— your location," came a woman's voice over the radio.</p><p>Maverick had his rifle steadied at the doorway. "Say again?"</p><p>"Highlighting your location," the woman repeated, stronger this time. It was Finka. "Pinging on HUD for all units."</p><p>Before Thorn could reply, muffled gunfire erupted nearby. Bullets peppered the wall just a pace away, sending debris and dust pluming out into the office.</p><p>Maverick cursed and sank low. He rolled onto his back, planted his boots against the wall, and kicked hard enough to slide back across the tile. His head bumped lightly into a desk, and the man hurriedly reached to his headset and flicked down a small square glass attached to a swivel. "Flament!" he called urgently. "Drone assist!"</p><p>"Copy that," Lion responded. "On my mark: Three. Two."</p><p>Maverick centered the looking glass over his right eye.</p><p>"One. Drone active."</p><p>A deep, bassy hum pinged over the radio waves as Lion's EE-ONE-D drone unleashed one long sonar pulse, of which highlighted movements of hostiles... through the walls.</p><p>Through the electronic looking glass that was synced with the operational HUD and Lion's drone, Maverick saw the red outline of his enemy on the other side of the wall.</p><p>"Tango spotted," he breathed, steadying his aim. A split-second later, the report of his rifle echoed loudly through the office, and he popped off another short volley of semi-automatic fire before getting to his feet.</p><p>The highlighted hostile on the other side of the wall hit the floor before vanishing.</p><p>"Tango down," Maverick informed. He pinched the swivel of his looking glass with two gloved fingers and snapped it back into its secure position on his headset. "Fucker."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. “ON MY MARK”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A delicate situation emerges.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry was listening intently to the radio comms. "Talk to me."</p><p>"Maverick reporting: single tango neutralized. Moving to assist Glaz. No further contact."</p><p>"Sir, Team 2 is en route to reinforce," chimed Sledge. "Close behind."</p><p>Harry nodded. "Received."</p><p>A ruckus sounded behind him, and Director Six turned to see a small crowd of police and DSU officers gathering around a video console neara van. Lt. Col. Maes waved to him hurriedly, and Harry jogged over. "What is it?"</p><p>"Another video." Maes pointed grimly to the screen. "It's in the bank. One of the offices. They have the manager hostage."</p><p>Harry peered closely at the live feed. A man and a woman dressed in bank security uniforms stood on either side of a middle-aged, bearded man dressed in a black power suit. Both security guards were toting modded Kalashnikov rifles.</p><p>"We are November Sun," the woman stated. "To all agencies and police forces in the area; to the counterterrorism unit coming down the halls for us now; hear us."</p><p>"Harry, we're running facial recognition through the database," Dokkaebi said over the radio.</p><p>"Copy."</p><p>The woman on camera reached down and grabbed the seated man roughly by his hair, forcing him to face the camera directly. "State your name."</p><p>The bank manager was quivering with fear. "D-Dima," he said shakily. "Dima M-Molch—" The rest of his last name tumbled out in a jumbled mess.</p><p>"Louder, for the camera."</p><p>"D-Dima Molchalin."</p><p>Harry didn't bother giving the order to run Mr. Molchalin's name. He knew that Dokkaebi and the others at Guardian were already on it.</p><p>"Dima Molchalin." The woman nodded and released her hold on Mr. Molchalin, who whimpered. "You are a very special person today, Dima Molchalin. Do you know why?"</p><p>The woman's colleague suddenly perked up on the video feed, clearly disturbed by something off-camera. He opened his jacket and revealed an IED of sorts strapped to his chest. An ominous red light blinked near yellow and red wires.</p><p>"This is Sledge," came Seamus in Harry's earpiece. "We've reached the tangos' position. Posted up in the outside hallway. Awaiting orders."</p><p>"Caution," Harry warned lowly. His words were precise, but fast. "Think they hear you. Bomb threat. They have the bank manager at gunpoint. Seated, hands bound. Two hostiles. Assault rifles. Male, female. Male has IED strapped to his chest. How copy?"</p><p>Sledge, Ash and the others all echoed terse acknowledgment.</p><p>"Harry, we're entering neighboring office suites," came Maverick in a whisper. "We'll have the room surrounded."</p><p>"Roger." Harry pinched his nose momentarily as a cold wind rippled by. "Go to work."</p><p>"Sir."</p><p>Harry tilted his head up to the sky to look to Rainbow's air support helo, now hovering above the bank. "Amelia, how are you looking on fuel?"</p><p>"Solid," the pilot replied.</p><p>"Good. I have an idea. Maverick, listen up."</p><p>In the hallway outside the office suite where Mr. Molchalin had been taken hostage, Team 2 had stacked up along the walls, covering all directions with vigilant focus.</p><p>Valkyrie reached to unhitch a snake cam from her harness, but Doc pressed a palm to her shoulder. "I'll snake it," he whispered. "You're the better breacher."</p><p>The woman nodded and stepped back from the doorway as Doc reached into a pouch and produced his own snake cam. He knelt and carefully eased the camera face towards the base of the office door, taking care to execute the maneuver as slowly as possible.</p><p>Maverick quietly stepped to Sledge. "Seamus, I'm ready," he whispered, gesturing with one hand. "Shooter on the west side, shooter on the east. Synced shots for the takedown."</p><p>Sledge nodded. "Make the holes. Take your shot at the second. Go." He watched Maverick give Glaz a tap on the shoulder, and the pair glided away. "Amelia, we're ready for you."</p><p>Up in the chopper, Lt. Col. Acevedo grasped the joystick and eased the helicopter down towards the window. "Copy. Executing slow descent."</p><p>In the neighboring office, Maverick and Glaz snuck to the suite's western wall with careful steps. Just beyond it were two killers, two rifles, at least one bomb, and an innocent man trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears.</p><p>Maverick crouched quietly to one knee and readied his torch. As he did, the humming of Amelia's helicopter teased his ears.</p><p>She had perfect timing. With the noise of the rotors close enough to effectively overpower the sound of his torch, Maverick seized the opportunity.</p><p>"That's good, ma'am," he whispered.</p><p>"Roger that," Amelia replied. "Ceasing descent and maintaining current altitude."</p><p>"Torch is hot. Real small fuckin' hole comin' right up."</p><p>Glaz snorted. "Thermite know you're using his line, now?"</p><p>"He gets to say 'big hole', not 'small hole' - he has nothing to complain about."</p><p>"It's all about size with you boys, isn't it?" came Ash.</p><p>"Enough." Harry's voice on the radio was hard. "Focus."</p><p>The Rainbow operators obeyed with their silence. In no time, Maverick had torched a peephole for Glaz. He hurried back out into the hallway to circle past his stacked companions and tapped Lion's shoulder as he moved. Lion lowered his weapon and followed the man past the door to the suite where the hostage was being held, and into the neighboring office on the west side. Their teammates remained out in the hall.</p><p>Maverick moved quickly. The flame from his torch cast a bright orange glow across his tense face. Lion stood behind him, kneeling and leaning against a desk to steady his rifle's aim at the wall.</p><p>"Device in play," whispered Maverick. "Ready to fire in ten seconds. Amelia, you're good to back the helo off. Glaz?"</p><p>"Ready to fire."</p><p>"Hurry," breathed Doc. "They're getting nervous."</p><p>"Copy," Sledge replied. "We'll breach on your mark, Thorn."</p><p>"Roger that." Still prone on the office floor, Maverick set his torch down as gently as he could before shifting to shoulder his rifle. "Target acquired. On my mark, Glaz."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. “UNKNOWN ORDINANCE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A delicate situation becomes even more delicate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Suppressed gunshots cracked the air simultaneously, and the two terrorists went down in a heap next to their hostage. Mr. Molchalin barely had time to yelp in fright before Sledge's hammer shattered the office door, and Rainbow operators stormed the room.</p><p>Valkyrie kept her weapon pointed at the bodies. "Clear."</p><p>"Six Actual, this is Sledge. Room breached. Two tangos down. Examining bomb."</p><p>"Copy," came Harry. "DSU is sweeping the building. No signs of further resistance. You're clear to extract."</p><p>Mr. Molchalin started squirming, overcome by anxiety as the numbness of shock wore off.</p><p>Doc knelt next to the man and put a steady hand on his shoulders. "You're safe, now sir. Do you understand me?"</p><p>The man's lips quivered as he tried to stifle sobbing, and he nodded briskly.</p><p>"Breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Are you injured?"</p><p>"M-my arm." Molchalin gritted his teeth. "Think they broke it."</p><p>"Okay. You'll be fine." Doc assessed the businessman quickly. Not seeing any blood or lacerations, he flashed a nod to Sledge. "Let's get him out of here."</p><p>He held up his STIM pistol. "Mr. Molchalin, we need to leave, quickly. I'm going to give you a shot. It's a stimulant that will help with the pain."</p><p>"Just do it," snapped Lion from the doorway.</p><p>Doc ignored his colleague and kept his calm eyes on Mr. Molchalin. "Do you understand?"</p><p>Molchalin nodded. Doc administered the shot quickly before putting his arm around the man and helping him up. Rook came to his aid, and the two escorted the liberated hostage out into the hallway.</p><p>Valkyrie slumped to her knees next to the dead hostile with the bomb strapped to his chest. She set her weapon down carefully and removed her gloves. "I got this, guys. Get the hostage outta here."</p><p>"You sure?" asked Lion.</p><p>"Yeah." The woman set her gloves down on the floor and took a deep breath as she examined the bomb. "Ash, what's Team 1's status?"</p><p>"In the middle of a sweep and clear with the DSU at the embassy," the woman responded in a hushed voice. "You guys doin' okay?"</p><p>Valkyrie wiped sweat from her brow. "We will be. Can you spare Twitch for a bomb defusal?"</p><p>"Affirmative. She's on her way."</p><p>"What are we looking at?" asked Harry.</p><p>"It's an IED, Harry, but it's impressive. Rigged with some finesse." Valkyrie grinned. "Too bad Bandit isn't here."</p><p>"Wires?" Twitch asked, her shaky voice indicating she was mid-run. "Timer?"</p><p>"No wires exposed. No visible timer. Gonna have to find the panel to remove it, but— oh, what the fuck."</p><p>"What?" asked Twitch.</p><p>"The device wraps around this mother fucker's torso," replied Valkyrie. She bit her lip as she peered over the dead man, assessing the bomb's layout. "There's shit on his back, too. No wonder he's slumped all weird. Lion, can you come back? Gonna need a third set of hands once Twitch gets here."</p><p>"On my way."</p><p>Valkyrie put her palms out and lowered herself to the floor, trying to get a better angle on the device between the man's back and the floor.</p><p>"Valkyrie," came Harry again, "DSU wants eyes on your bomb. I told them they can send one man. They're sending Liam, the one who picked you all up at the airport."</p><p>"Okay. As long as he understands he's not fucking touching anything."</p><p>"Be advised, he's a bomb defusal expert."</p><p>"I don't care."</p><p>Lion jogged back inside, his steps heavy on the tile. He saw Valkyrie and grinned beneath his mask. "You really think now is the time for push-ups, Castellano?"</p><p>She shot him a glare. "Help me."</p><p>The man obeyed and was at her side quickly. "What do you need?"</p><p>"Device is rigged to his front and back. We need to roll him onto his side so we can work on both sides. Be very, very careful, Flament."</p><p>"Could this thing go off at any second?"</p><p>"Yeah," Valkyrie murmured. "I mean, it looks sturdy, but there's no way to tell yet. Ready?"</p><p>Lion nodded. He slipped his mask off, followed by his gloves, and let them fall to the floor before stepping over the lifeless body. "Ready."</p><p>The duo rolled the man slowly, carefully, onto his side.</p><p>Valkyrie pushed, trying to hold the body upright. The muscles in her arms tensed with exertion, and her blue eyes widened when the man's back was fully exposed. "The hell. It's like a full-sized vest. Back panel is screwed tight. Twitch, where are you?"</p><p>"Here," came a voice from the hall amidst jogging footsteps. Twitch soon entered, slowing her pace as she went through the door. </p><p>A loud clattering noise from the body made everyone jump. Lion cursed, trying his best to maintain a stable hold on the dead man; Valkyrie's gaze flickered to the floor.</p><p>"Jesus," she breathed. "It's his phone. Fell out of his pocket."</p><p>Twitch moved quickly to her companions, stepping over the body of the dead woman before sinking to her knees next to the woman's comrade. She stripped off her gloves and mask before hurriedly scooping up the dead man's phone. Her eyes widened. "The fuck is this?"</p><p>"Nuh uh." Valkyrie was shaking her head. "Not what I want to hear right now, Pichon."</p><p>"There's a timer." Twitch held up the man's phone, revealing an active countdown on the screen. "Ten minutes remaining."</p><p>Lion frowned, still stooped over the body and holding it still with both hands. "What? The timer is on the phone? Is it connected to this shithead's bomb?"</p><p>"We'll find out soon enough." Velcro rasped loudly as Twitch undid a satchel hanging from her tactical vest, and she placed it gingerly on the floor. "Time to break out the tools."</p><p>Valkyrie exhaled deeply. "Harry, recommending evac of all friendlies on-site. Valkyrie, Lion, and Twitch are preparing for defusal of unknown ordinance. Please stand by."</p><p>"Received. Stay safe. Keep me informed. Six Actual, out."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. “LAST WORDS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A tough choice must be made.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Twitch examined the frontal rig of the man's IED vest before looking at the rear. "No exposed wires. Attempting to open the frontal compartment. Stand by."</p><p>Lion looked at Valkyrie. "Any last words?"</p><p>The woman paused in thought. "I'm hungry, dude."</p><p>"Shut up," Twitch whispered. "Don't make me laugh right now." She inserted a flathead screwdriver into one of four screws on the corners of the front panel and twisted as gently as she could manage. The process went quickly, and soon she was gingerly lifting the aluminum panel from its place.</p><p>Twitch's eyes narrowed.</p><p>"What is it?" asked Valkyrie. </p><p>"I... I mean, I've never seen anything quite like this." Twitch scratched an itch on her nose. "We've got Semtex and C4 in the first compartment - enough to fuck shit up. Badly. There is an alloy tube running through the devices, like a rail. There's no way to remove the devices from the vest without melting the rail or buzz-sawing through, and that'd be too risky."</p><p>"Damage estimate?" Director Six asked.</p><p>Twitch swallowed hard. "Uh... make sure the surrounding block is completely evacuated, Harry. Empty the buildings completely."</p><p>"Understood, Pichon. Breathe and assess."</p><p>At that moment, Liam, the DSU bomb defusal expert, called a warning that he was entering the room before walking in. The man's jaw was clenched as he surveyed the scene. "What do you need from me?"</p><p>Twitch nodded at the vest. "Take a look."</p><p>Liam crouched and assessed the IED arrangement. "Jesus."</p><p>"Ever seen anything like this?" Twitch asked.</p><p>"Not exactly, no, but..." Liam pointed a gloved finger at copper lining at the interior edges of the panel. "... that's a trigger conductor."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"That copper lining in there; it's a trigger conductor. Built-in trap. If human skin touches it, or it senses a surge of electricity, it detonates."</p><p>Twitch's eyebrows raised. "How do you know?"</p><p>"Saw something like this in Iraq." Liam shook his head. "It's fucked. It's expensive as all hell, too. Extremely advanced mechanical engineering is required, so these guys are well-funded."</p><p>"Can't try to dismantle this thing with gloves on," came Twitch. "The openings are too narrow. The compartment's too crowded."</p><p>"I know. It was meant for this very scenario."</p><p>Everyone was silent for a lengthy moment. Twitch watched the countdown on the enemy's phone: 7:22 remaining. The numbers on the screen made her feel that maybe - just maybe - this was all an awful dream.</p><p>"Check the other side," Lion said with a grunt. He repositioned his boots and dug into the floor to take some stress off his lower back. "This guy's getting heavy."</p><p>Liam stepped to the nearby executive's desk and grabbed a wheeled office chair. He rolled it over and braced it steady as the others carefully lifted the dead man into a side-sitting position, so both the front and back of his IED vest was easily accessible.</p><p>"Just under seven minutes remaining," informed Valkyrie. "We might just have to leave this guy here. Building is evacuated, so no innocent lives to worry about." She sighed. "Just a Russian Embassy torn in half before collapsing to ashes."</p><p>Twitch quickly circled to the man's back, knelt to both knees, and unscrewed the rear panel. She was setting the lid down when she froze in mid-air.</p><p>Liam shifted nervously, keeping his hands firmly on the dead man's shoulders to keep the body balanced in the chair. "What's wrong?"</p><p>The woman cleared her throat. "Director," she started, not wanting to use Harry's name in front of Liam, "I've got eyes on a biological agent of some kind. Light blue liquid, secured in a series of vials all strapped together in a magazine. Magazine is fuzed to an alloy surface."</p><p>"Copy that."</p><p>"Six Actual, this is Dokkaebi on Guardian station. Route that phone's info to me and I can try to sever the connection."</p><p>"Message received," answered Harry. "Twitch?"</p><p>"On it. Stand by."</p><p>"Where's our timer at?" Dokkaebi asked.</p><p>Twitch opened her mouth to tell the woman they had around six and a half minutes remaining, but she hesitated when she looked at the phone.</p><p>She blinked once. Twice. Her mouth was suddenly dry.</p><p>"Twitch? What's the timer's status? Do you copy?"</p><p>"Twitch copies." The woman fought panic. "All units, we have 72 seconds remaining. Something... the timer changed. I repeat: seventy seconds until detonation."</p><p>Lion cursed. Valkyrie stared at the bomb with wide eyes. Liam cleared his throat. "Did you touch the copper conductors?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"I'm sure!" Twitch snapped. "Must have tripped a fuckin' fail safe somewhere. Maybe because I opened both compartments? Maybe opening one tripped the—"</p><p>"Pichon," interrupted Valkyrie, "the phone. Get that patched to Guardian."</p><p>The woman complied without a further word. Valkyrie and Lion stood uneasily, watching Twitch as she worked with deft fingers.</p><p>"Done. Sending your way." Twitch took out her phone and snapped quick photos. "Sending images too, just in case. Fifty seconds."</p><p>"Roger," Dokkaebi answered. She took a deep breath. "I... I'm going to need someone to stay behind, in case a manual override is needed on that end. I'm sorry. We have no choice."</p><p>Valkyrie stood and looked at her companions. "I'll stay. Rainbow needs you more than it needs me. Twitch, you're a better engineer."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"Lion, we need you. Nobody knows bio-threats like you and Finka."</p><p>Twitch squared herself with a fierce gaze. "I'm not leaving anyone behind. Ever."</p><p>"It's all of us, or one of us." Valkyrie placed a hand on both her teammate's shoulders. Her eyes were filled with firm resolve. "Go. Please."</p><p>"Twitch, Lion." Harry's voice was soft in their earpieces. "There's no time. I'll be damned if I lose all three of you. Meghan has made her decision. Honor it. Meghan?"</p><p>Valkyrie fought tears. "Yes, Harry?"</p><p>"Your courage will be known." The man paused. "Rainbow shall owe you a great debt."</p><p>It was then that Liam stepped forward. "I'll stay. I'll take it from here. Leave a headset and your tools with me. This is my country. My responsibility." He nodded solemnly. "I'm grateful to you all. Just... please tell my wife and sons I love them. Tell them - and my men - I wasn't afraid. Now, hurry! Go!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. “STAND BY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dokkaebi steps up. DSU’s Liam steels himself.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>HEREFORD, ENGLAND<br/>RAINBOW HEADQUARTERS<br/>SITUATION ROOM</p><p>The Situation Room at Rainbow HQ was tense. The normal chatter and busy bustling of the staff was hushed. Every glance, every voiced word or quick gesture to a colleague, was brisk and with purpose.</p><p>It all sounded far away to Finka.</p><p>The woman's vision was growing blurry. Her temple ached. She delicately pressed her fingertips against her closed eyes and tried to massage the throbbing pain behind them.</p><p>She blinked. The overhead lights seemed to blot her vision with hazy white spots, even with her eyes shut. It was as if she had mistakenly looked directly at the sun.</p><p>"— if you can read me. Over," Dokkaebi was saying, one hand pressed to her headset. Her gaze was distant. She tried to visualize the man she was speaking to; the man who had just volunteered his own life in place of those of Rainbow operators.</p><p>"I hear you," came Liam. His tone was stoic. "I've got a biohazard device here, uh - expertly engineered. It's—" </p><p>"We know," Dokkaebi interrupted smoothly. "We heard it all. Listen to me, Liam: grab the man's phone. What kind is it?"</p><p>"It's an iPhone. I don't know which model."</p><p>"I need the serial number."</p><p>"They filed it off. Uh - one second, I'll check the, uh... the settings. Fuck. Phone's locked."</p><p>Dokkaebi glanced over at Finka with apparent concern. "Get me your phone's serial number then," she instructed Liam, her eyes still on Finka. "I'll get a fix on your signal, and then be able to zero in on the tango's phone. Hurry."</p><p>Kapkan followed Dokkaebi's brief glance and saw Finka in obvious pain. He cleared his throat and nudged her discreetly. "Lera."</p><p>"I'm fine."</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>Finka willed her eyes open and didn't bother answering. She straightened at her seat and swiped on her tabletop screen, refocusing her attention on the situation at hand.</p><p>Dokkaebi was hammering away at her keyboard as Liam relayed his phone's serial number. She quickly routed a trace, picked up his signal, and triggered a proximity detection module. "Perfect," she announced. "I'll be in that tango's phone in twenty seconds."</p><p>"Roger that," came Liam. He cleared his throat nervously. "Be advised, I'm at forty-four seconds remaining."</p><p>"Copy forty-four seconds. Acknowledged." Dokkaebi was biting her lip nervously. "Stand by, my friend. I've got you." </p><p>While Dokkaebi stayed online with Liam, Finka switched channels to address Harry and the two Rainbow teams.</p><p>"All units, forty-three seconds until biohazard detonation. Repeat: forty-three seconds. Guardian is online with DSU bomb defusal expert. How copy?"</p><p>"Heard," came Harry's voice. His breathing was taxed, and Finka could tell he had been running. "We're prepping for detonation. Keep you posted. Over."</p><p>Finka nodded. She opened her mouth to call the status to Kate, but she suddenly felt light-headed. Her mouth turned to cotton, and the woman winced at the overhead lights. They were unbearably bright. Most of her vision was suddenly blurred, blanketed with a haze that remained even when she shut her eyes.</p><p>"Lera?" Maestro asked, removing his headset. "Finka. Hey."</p><p>Her eyelids twitched. Finka's mouth was so dry that she could not answer. The lights became brighter, and she raised her hand to shield her eyes. Her breathing was coming faster.</p><p>"Hey," called Dokkaebi. "Someone put up those pics Twitch sent. Right fucking now, please."</p><p>Finka instinctively swiped at her screen to send the images, but her fingers slid limply across the screen. She tried to ask for help, but the room was suddenly turning on its side.</p><p>Her vision went black.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>DSU Captain Liam Willems stared at the timer counting down on the dead terrorist's phone. He had faced death many times, but now that it was certain, Liam was surprised at how oddly calm he felt.</p><p>He could not run now, after all; and, he supposed, he wouldn't feel anything. The blast would incinerate him instantaneously.</p><p>00:00:28</p><p>The man shifted on his feet, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He looked at the vacant, lifeless eyes of the dead man, and his female companion just paces away.</p><p>"Fuck you both." Liam growled under his breath. He wiped beads of sweat from his brow. "Twenty-six seconds."</p><p>His earpiece crackled to life. "Affirmative," came Dokkaebi's voice. "I'm in. Grab his phone."</p><p>Liam did so. "Please tell my wife and sons that I love them."</p><p>"You're going to tell them yourself. Go to settings and turn Bluetooth off. Hurry."</p><p>"Done."</p><p>"Set the battery usage to low power, cut cellular data usage to all apps."</p><p>Liam didn't question her. "Done. Ten seconds."</p><p>"Go to the frontal rig on the IED vest. Listen to me very carefully: hold your phone - repeat your phone, not the tango's phone - up to the vest. Do it now, and hold still until I tell you otherwise."</p><p>"I... okay. Done." Liam shut his eyes tightly and braced himself for death. He had been counting down in his head, and didn't need to look at the timer to know he had two seconds left.</p><p>"Done!" Dokkaebi exclaimed. "We did it. You still with me, Liam?"</p><p>The man opened his eyes and looked down at the timer. "The t-timer is stuck at one second remaining." Liam let out a mighty sigh of relief. "Fuck me. I think it worked."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. “AFTERMATH”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The op ends with a close call. Finka wakes up in medical bay.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Director Six's eyes widened, and he reluctantly turned back to look at the bank. "Say again?"</p><p>"Bomb's remote trigger access is disabled, Harry," Dokkaebi answered. "Bomb still needs to be defused and disposed of, but it can't recognize any outside signals for detonation."</p><p>Harry saw his operators exiting the bank. "How the hell did you pull that off, Grace?"</p><p>"Sparing you boring details, I transferred the countdown to a dummy server and fucked the programming on it. Tricked the IED's receiver to think it's still counting down, but the timer itself is, uh... stuck in an infinite loop in The Matrix." Dokkaebi let out a sigh of relief. "Think of it as your internet modem being unable to connect, but it keeps trying... forever."</p><p>"Great work."</p><p>"Thank you, sir. Guardian, out."</p><p>Harry waved at Valkyrie and the others from afar. "Bomb threat is clear," he called over the radio. "Go back in and sweep the entire building. DSU will assist."</p><p>"Roger that," replied Sledge, turning on his heel. "Team 2, back inside. Clean sweep."</p><p>"Director?"</p><p>Harry turned to see Lieutenant Colonel Maes of the DSU walking briskly for him. "Lieutenant Colonel, the bomb threat has been dealt with, thanks to your man, Liam. Coordinated effort with one of my operators."</p><p>"Excellent." Maes barked some orders to his men over the radio. "Sounds like the embassy is clear, but I'll have my men do a second sweep. We're coordinating evac of nearby buildings with the police, just in case."</p><p>"Understood."</p><p>Maes took a deep breath and stepped closer. "The man you detained - my superiors will expect that he be released to our custody."</p><p>"Of course." Harry shook the man's hand. "Belgian soil, Belgian custody. We're just here to help. I do hope that you'll keep me updated on any further developments."</p><p>"Absolutely." Maes grinned. "I must admit I did not like the idea of an outside element coming in to do my job for me, but I've seen the light, as they say. Good work, Director Six."</p><p>"You as well, Lieutenant Colonel. Pleasure to work with you. Let us hope we will not need to do so again, yes?"</p><p>"I don't suppose you'd accept a round of beers at the pub as substantial payment?"</p><p>Harry chuckled. "I appreciate it, but I'm sure my superiors will be sending a painfully expensive bill to your Prime Minister shortly."</p><p>*              *              *</p><p>Alexsandr "Tachanka" Senaviev strolled into the medical bay at Rainbow HQ, and saw Dr. Keeba, a woman in a white lab coat, hunched over Finka's unconscious body at one of the beds.</p><p>Monika "IQ" Weiss was there as well, sitting bedside with concern filling her ocean-blue eyes. She saw Alex approach. and got to her feet to greet him. "Hey."</p><p>"Hey." The man turned to the doctor. "How's she holding up?"</p><p>Dr. Keeba held up a finger requesting momentary patience as she listened to Finka's heartbeat through her stethoscope.</p><p>"She's stable," IQ whispered. "Vitals are normal now."</p><p>Senaviev watched Finka quietly. A breathing mask had been placed over her face. An IV ran from her left arm to a suspended bag, and clear liquid was dripping steadily into the tube.</p><p>Dr. Keeba finally straightened and removed her stethoscope from her ears. "She's going to be okay. I'm a bit concerned with her past history with CMT, but this doesn't seem to be related." The woman checked some gauges on a nearby console before reaching to gently remove Finka's mask. "She's breathing on her own without an issue."</p><p>Alex's jaw was clenched. "What happened?" he asked, ignoring the fact that he was afraid of the answer.</p><p>The doctor scribbled quick notes on a clipboard. "Not to be that person, but you two don't qualify as immediate family, and you're certainly not Director Six." She smiled at them wryly. "Sorry. Just know she's going to be fine, and if she wants to tell you about it, she will."</p><p>"They're family," came a weak voice. Finka's eyes gently fluttered open, but she shut them quickly against the light.</p><p>"Ah, you're with us!" Dr. Keeba reached over to a panel and dimmed the overhead lights. "Can you tell me your name?"</p><p>Finka blinked. She took a deep breath before exhaling mightily, still keeping her eyes closed. "Lera Melnikova. I'm at Rainbow Headquarters in Hereford, England. It's September 5, 2019. Maybe. Don't know how long I've been out."</p><p>Dr. Keeba smiled. "It's like you knew exactly what questions I would ask."</p><p>Finka winced. "My head hurts. What happened?"</p><p>Tachanka and IQ looked ar Dr. Keeba expectantly, and the woman rolled her eyes at them. "Well, Ms. Melnikova, you fainted in the Situation Room," the doctor replied. "Bloodwork shows it's not a serious underlying issue, but you appear to be under great stress."</p><p>"Don't we all," Finka mumbled.</p><p>Dr. Keeba offered another smile. "What can you tell me about how you felt before you lost consciousness? Can you remember if you felt anything out of the ordinary? Any pain or discomfort?"</p><p>Finka swallowed hard before looking over at Tachanka and IQ.</p><p>"I can have them leave, if you'd like."</p><p>"Actually," came Alex, "sorry. We'll leave." He nudged IQ to follow. "We'll see you soon, Lera. We'll be right outside if you don't mind, doctor."</p><p>Dr. Keeba shooed them off approvingly.</p><p>Finka's eyes flashed open. "Wait." She tried to press herself up in bed to face her companions, and Dr. Keeba quickly elevated the woman's position using the electronic seat incline controls. "The mission," Finka managed, still wincing from the pain. "Did we—"</p><p>"Win?" finished Tachanka. He grinned. "Damned right. Bomb was defused. Embassy, bank, all of it was clear. Harry and the others are on their way back. Belgium is happy."</p><p>A wave of relief washed over Finka, and she let her head fall back to her pillows. The operation was a success.</p><p>She wished that was all that mattered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. “REALM OF UNCERTAINTY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka undergoes a medical exam. Rainbow heads home from Belgium.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finka heard the medical bay doors close as Alex and Monika exited, and she tried once more to open her eyes against the lights overhead.</p><p>"Still too bright?" asked Dr. Keeba.</p><p>"No. I'm getting used to it."</p><p>"Good. So, what do you remember before you lost consciousness?"</p><p>"Bright spots. I got lightheaded. My vision was hazy."</p><p>"Blurry? Out of focus?"</p><p>"More like a big white spot blocking my field of vision." Finka frowned and tried to find the right words to describe it. "It was like I had looked at the sun."</p><p>"Mm." Dr. Keeba held up her hands and made 'L' shapes with her thumbs and pointers. "If this rectangle here was your entire field of vision, what were you seeing? Where was the spot?"</p><p>Finka pointed. "The top left corner. Like... a fourth of my vision."</p><p>"Was it still there when you closed your eyes?"</p><p>"Yes. Whether I blinked, shut my eyes. I couldn't see the damned screen in front of me even if I tilted and turned my head."</p><p>"So, top left quadrant. It was your left eye?"</p><p>"No, both eyes. Whether I shut one or the other."</p><p>Dr. Keeba nodded. "Well, good news for you is I was an ophthalmologist in a past life."</p><p>"I'm not going blind, am I, doc?" Finka grinned, but she was nervous about the answer.</p><p>"I highly doubt it." Dr. Keeba smiled and reached for her clipboard. "However, we're gonna do an eye exam just to be sure. Rule out any serious optical issues."</p><p>"My vision's a perfect 20/20."</p><p>"I  don't doubt it, but you won't be reading letters off a chart for me, Ms. Melnikova."</p><p>"You can call me Lera."</p><p>Dr. Keeba flashed a thumbs-up. "Noted. So, have you ever had your pupils dilated before?"</p><p>Finka groaned.</p><p>"Fun, I know - but I want to take a look at everything and just make sure there's nothing going on behind-the-scenes, yes?" Dr. Keeba crossed a leg over the other. "I suspect this is an ocular migraine, brought on by stress."</p><p>"Ocular migraine?"</p><p>"Mm. It's rare, but it's caused by reduced blood flow, or spasms, of blood vessels in the retina, or even behind the eye." The woman straightened the collar of her lab coat. "Temporary vision loss, or even blindness, in one eye. Now, we'll have to run tests, of course, and it won't be pleasant, but the good news is I highly doubt this is anything more serious. I know your CMT is a concern of yours, and as you haven't shown symptoms in quite some time, I don't want you to worry."</p><p>Finka cringed inwardly. She, of course, had not formally reported the return of her symptoms.</p><p>"Any questions, Lera?"</p><p>"Will this affect my operating status?"</p><p>"Too soon to tell. We'll conduct the tests, I'll relay the results to Director Six, and it will be up to him whether or not to keep you active."</p><p>Finka nodded. "And what will the tests consist of?"</p><p>"The usual stuff. We're going to examine your pupils and retina, a slit lamp test to magnify your eyelid, cornea. Tonometry, which is that puff of air that gets blown into your open eye. Checks for glaucoma."</p><p>Finka groaned again. She remembered Tachanka's apprehension months before when she had injected her nanobots into his bloodstream, and figured this was probably how he had felt.</p><p>Dr. Keeba smiled ruefully. "Then, I'm gonna take a closer look at things. I'll have to use a Q-tip on the surface of your eyeballs."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Numbing drops will be applied to your eyes and the Q-tip before doing so, and I'll be directing you to look in certain directions while I examine things  through some mega-awesome magnified lenses. It won't hurt, but it'll be uncomfortable."</p><p>Finka sighed. "Okay. Can we get this done sooner rather than later?"</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Director Six and his Rainbow teams were en route back to base via plane. The man gazed out the window at the English Channel as they flew over its waters towards Hereford.</p><p>He cast a glance behind him at his operators. Most of them were asleep, their heads bobbing and swaying with slight mid-flight turbulence.</p><p>Harry smiled. He was proud of the men and women under his command.</p><p>Ash was struggling to get comfortable in her seat, and she pulled the brim of her cap over her eyes in an attempt to sleep. Beside her, Nøkk was resting her head against the window, her eyes sleepily peering down at the tablet in her hands.</p><p>Behind them, Maverick was sleeping soundly, and Harry had to stifle a laugh when the man snored so suddenly that Sledge nearly shot out of the seat next to him in surprise.</p><p>Six turned back to his laptop. Yes, he was proud of his teams; but more importantly, he realized that he was looking at them as children sleeping in the back of a car during a long road trip. How silly he felt, to be protective and paternal over the killing machines onboard the plane with him.</p><p>But when Harry looked at his people, he saw more than the grit, the toughness, the tenacity. Behind every gun was a man or woman who had lived an entire life up until that very moment. Fate had seen fit to bring him and them together for the betterment of the world, and for that, Harry could not be more grateful.</p><p>Theirs was a strange line of work, was it not?</p><p>Tasked as guardians for a world they could only hope would invite them in; never knowing what each day would bring; at any moment, Rainbow could be disbanded or shut down by faceless men in the shadows of the U.S. government. Any day could see a new threat, and any threat could spell the end of a life of one of Harry's operators.</p><p>Rainbow operated in a realm of uncertainty.</p><p>Nearby, Valkyrie was asleep, and her head nodded off to the side and landed on Twitch's shoulder. Neither woman so much as stirred in their slumber.</p><p>Harry smiled again. When it came to uncertainty, there was no other group of men and women he would rather be with. Every day brought new challenges, and every day, Rainbow grew stronger.</p><p>That strength was required to continue evolving, as groups like November Sun sprang up across the world.</p><p>Their leader's proclamations referring to the Beslan School Hostage Crisis of 2004 tugged at Harry's curiosity. Yes, Belgium had Nøkk's prisoner in custody - but that did not mean Harry wouldn't be looking into things on his own.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. “HAUNTED”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov reels from his loss and is haunted by his past.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 6, 2019<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA<br/>ZAMOSKVORECHYE DISTRICT</p><p>Matvei Federov stared out the window of his small studio apartment. Night had fallen hours ago across Moscow, but the darkness could not compare to the stone sinking the man's heart. Except for the dull blue light of his TV, his apartment was completely shrouded in darkness.</p><p>"—the scene yesterday in Brussels, where armed terrorists seized control of the Russian Embassy and Belgium United Financial Bank. Authorities moved to—"</p><p>Matvei turned and stared at the screen. He had been watching the reports all day, and they had not been good for his cause.</p><p>"—federal officers collaborated with local police and successfully foiled the terrorist attack. All forty-one hostages were safely recovered in a paramount display of professionalism by Brussels PD and DSU units."</p><p>The camera cut to an earlier interview with the Brussels Police Chief. "We do, yes. Absolutely," he was saying. "This whole incident has been troubling, and it has shown us that there is, uh, some work to do for security in our city. But, we do consider the rescue mission a total success. No innocent lives were lost, and Matvei left me there to die."</p><p>Matvei snapped his gaze to the television, wide-eyed and shocked at the sound of his dead brother's voice. Yegor was standing at the police chief's podium, looking at the camera with empty eyes.</p><p>"I died alone, just like our sister. Just like Tania."</p><p>Matvei stared in shock.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Matty." Tears were welling up in Yegor's eyes. "I failed us. We were supposed to make a statement. We were supposed to—"</p><p>Matvei buried his face in his hands. He felt guilty for not crying over Yegor's death. "Stop, brother."</p><p>"—our message. Our vengeance. I've failed us. I failed you."</p><p>"Yegor. Please, do not say this."</p><p>The TV was suddenly quiet, prompting Matvei to look up reluctantly from his sorrow-laced fingers.</p><p>Yegor was still there. His eyes were filled with tears. "I failed Tania, Matvei," he said shakily. "Where were you?"</p><p>Matvei shot to his feet. He snatched the remote control from the couch and cocked back his hand to hurl it at the TV, but he stopped himself.</p><p>"Certainly," the news reporter was saying. "The footage speaks for itself, Chief, and I think I speak for all of Brussels - and all of Belgium - when I say thank you for your courage."</p><p>The police chief maintained a stoic demeanor, and offered a humble nod. "Thank you, but it was the courage of the Brussels Police Department, and the courage of the operators assisting from the Directorate of Special Units, Madame. They deserve the recognition."</p><p>"Indeed." The reporter's smile did not fade. "And what of the reports that Dmitri Molchalin, Branch Manager of Belgian United Financial Bank, was one of the hostages taken by the gunmen?"</p><p>"All I can say is that all civilians present at both locations are well and accounted for." The police chief flashed a polite smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to it. Thank you for your time."</p><p>Matvei shut off the TV and trudged into the kitchen. He opened the freezer and lifted a foggy bottle of vodka from the ice. When he shut the freezer door, he was suddenly staring at a Luzhniki Stadium magnet hanging on the fridge.</p><p>The man twisted the cap and tilted the frozen bottle to his lips. He was still feeling the burn of the vodka in his chest when he peeled the magnet off the door.</p><p>Yegor, a massive fan of Russian National, had snagged the souvenir magnet from a football game he had attended in Moscow in 2009.</p><p>Matvei closed his eyes. He could still picture the excitement on Yegor's face. He could hear his brother's words clearly.</p><p>"Matvei - you don't understand. Yeah, the game was great... but Moscow, Matty. Moscow is where we need to be."</p><p>"Moscow? How the fuck are we going to move to Moscow, Yegor? You know how much money we would need for that?"</p><p>"The buildings. The women. It's fucking incredible. We need to get the fuck out of North Ossetia. This is no place for us. Not anymore."</p><p>"Let me know when you've got the money, eh?"</p><p>"Fuck the money," Yegor had hissed suddenly, anger seizing his face. "I can't stay here anymore, Matty. I can't. I see her everywhere."</p><p>"Yeg, listen. You—"</p><p>"I hear her, too. I can still hear her screaming. I see Tania lying there. Bloody. Burnt. I—"</p><p>"Yegor."</p><p>"—hear the explosion. I'm sick of it. I can't anymore, Matvei." Yegor's voice cracked as he tried to hold back tears. "I need a new start. I need to get the fuck away from Beslan. No more, Matty. I want to be out of Beslan by the year's end."</p><p>Matvei had not put up much of an argument.</p><p>The Beslan School Siege of 2004 had scarred Matvei and Yegor Federov, as well as countless others. Islamic militants seized a school while it was in session in an attempt to force Russia to recognize Chechnya as an independent nation, and permanently withdraw its forces. Over 1,100 hostages were taken.</p><p>The siege lasted three days before Russian forces stormed the school in an attempt to take it back from the terrorists.</p><p>What resulted was the bloodiest counterterrorism operation in Russian history. Hundreds of innocents, including children, were killed.</p><p>Tania Federova - a teacher's aid at the school, older sister to Matvei and Yegor - was one of them.</p><p>Matvei took another drink. Oh, how he missed her. Tania had been more of a parent to Matvei and Yegor than both their mother and father.</p><p>Fate had been tragic. It was not the armed terrorists who took her life, but the explosion of a Shmel rocket - a tube-launched incendiary explosive - fired by Russian special forces operators during the rescue.</p><p>Yegor had watched as Tania's body was strewn across the hall by the blast. By the time Matvei reached his side, the fire was already consuming her.</p><p>Brussels was a failure, and Yegor had now joined Tania in the afterlife. Matvei could let the pain he felt destroy him, or he could harness it and continue November Sun's mission.</p><p>He eyed the bottle in his hand. He and Yegor had taken many precautions to ensure his death would not lead authorities directly to Matvei... not too quickly, at least.</p><p>November Sun had alluded to the Beslan incident before being overtaken. It would only be a matter of time before authorities drew the connection between Dmitri Molchalin and the crisis.</p><p>Matvei exhaled deeply. He would not be defeated. Vengeance was still theirs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. “FOR YOUR OWN GOOD”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry voices his concerns about Finka’s health.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 8, 2019<br/>RAINBOW HQ - HARRY'S OFFICE<br/>HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>Director Six sat on the edge of his desk in his office. He watched the TV thoughtfully.</p><p>News of a new organization calling itself "November Sun" had spread quickly across the globe. News agencies and media outlets in all corners of the world were reporting the troubling terrorist attack in Brussels, Belgium.</p><p>September 6, 2019 would be a day to go down in infamy.</p><p>There was talk of reform across the UN to address such terrorism - the world needed an organization that specialized in "lightning responses to counterterrorism."</p><p>Harry removed his glasses to give the lenses a quick cleaning. The world didn't know Rainbow already existed. Cameras, of course, had only seen unidentifiable special operators dressed in Belgian DSU uniforms during the situation in Brussels.</p><p>There was a knock at the office door. Harry muted the TV. "Come in."</p><p>Finka entered and shut the door quietly behind her. "You wanted to see me, Harry?"</p><p>"I did." Harry signaled to his chair behind his desk. "Have a seat, Lera."</p><p>The woman obliged.</p><p>Harry could see she was tired. Dark circles blotted the skin under her eyes. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Better."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>Finka looked up at him. "Yes."</p><p>"Mm." Harry got up from the desk's edge and sank into one of the seats across from Finka. "I went over Dr. Keeba's report. I know you don't want me to draw this out, so here it is: you are still a member of this organization, no doubt about it."</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>"However, I am placing you on four weeks' paid leave."</p><p>Finka's eyes widened. "Four weeks?" she nearly shouted. "A month? Harry, that's too long. I'm fine. It was just a migraine. It's never happened before, and—"</p><p>"Lera."</p><p>The woman's mouth was open as her words tumbled to a halt. She relaxed her shoulders. "Sorry, sir."</p><p>Harry smiled good-naturedly. "It's not a termination, but you need some time off."</p><p>"Respectfully, sir, I don't think I do."</p><p>"Respectfully, Lera, this isn't just about the ocular migraine, your loss of consciousness." He clasped his hands together. "I know about the return of your CMT symptoms."</p><p>Finka paled. She could say nothing at first, and swallowed nervously before clearing her throat. "Sorry?"</p><p>"Doc told me while you were in recovery."</p><p>Finka hissed through her teeth and sank back into her seat. "Son of a bitch."</p><p>"He had no choice. I made him tell me everything. In light of current circumstances, he—"</p><p>"Harry, I swear, I'm okay. Never better. I—"</p><p>"In light of current circumstances," Harry continued forcefully, "he did you a favor."</p><p>Before Finka could protest, Harry pointed up at the flatscreen TV mounted on the wall over his shoulder. "The world thinks it knows what it needs right now. Hundreds of politicians and suits with power and pull are about to lecture the governments of the Free World on how they should be handling terrorism."</p><p>Finka waited quietly.</p><p>"They will expect counterterrorism to predict terrorist attacks before they even happen. They will refuse to accept the reality that the world will always be vulnerable to danger. All it takes is vision and determination to challenge even the largest government."</p><p>Lera shifted in her seat, clearly wanting to speak.</p><p>Harry held up a hand, motioning her to calm down. "Rainbow, of course, is the closest the world can come to that. Since it is impossible to create perfect peace, we can only do our best." The man lowered his voice. "In order to do our best, I need the men and women under my command in top condition. I need you, Lera. Your job is not in jeopardy. You're not going anywhere."</p><p>"Except away," Finka answered. "For a month. That's too long."</p><p>"I admire your tenacity. It makes you one of my most valuable operators - but you need to rest. There's no way around it."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"It's not up for discussion." Harry leaned forward. "Take a vacation. Go back home and visit your family. Come up to the surface. You've been underwater for too long. We will welcome you back with open arms."</p><p>"But... but Harry, with November Sun appearing, more than ever we—"</p><p>"We'll handle it. You work yourself to the bone, Melnikova. You don't sleep enough, between your training and independent CMT research. You know the effect that has on the body and mind. You've pushed through it, because you can... but now, I am ordering you to slow down, for your own good."</p><p>Finka bit her lip, not quite sure of what to say.</p><p>Harry smiled. "I knew your symptoms had returned before Doc told me."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You think you can run testing of that caliber in my lab and I wouldn't know about it?" Harry sighed. "I didn't intervene because I was sure you could still operate. Now, it's clear you just need a break. Take a trip. Clear your head."</p><p>Finka's jaw was clenched. "But my research—"</p><p>"We'll see to your research. Doc will continue in your absence." Harry stood and walked to his office door. "You're dismissed. Keep me updated."</p><p>The woman stood with a sullen expression on her face, and exited. "Yes, sir."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. “THE PLAN STANDS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov confers with a powerful associate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>LUZHNIKI STADIUM<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA</p><p>About the time Harry was showing Finka out of his office in England, Matvei Federov was over 3,000 kilometers away, checking his watch in one of the VIP suites of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, high above the field and overlooking the rest of the stadium.</p><p>The stands were filled with nearly 43,000 people, and as they cheered for the Russia National Football Team below, the door to the suite opened.</p><p>Matvei turned to see a blonde-haired woman in a suit enter with two bodyguards, who shut the door quietly behind her, but remained posted outside.</p><p>The woman removed her sunglasses, exposing glacial blue eyes. A life of stress was hinted in her beautiful features by creases in her face, and worry lines on her forehead.</p><p>Matvei stood. "Deputy Prime Minister." He shook her hand. "Thank you for coming."</p><p>"Don't be so formal, Matty. I can't say it's a pleasure to be here." She sighed and sat down a few seats over from him, taking in the view of the stadium through the sky glass. "What the fuck happened in Belgium?"</p><p>"Things went wrong."</p><p>"No shit."</p><p>Matvei quelled the anger rising in his chest. "Val, we weren't prepared for the response."</p><p>"If you keep telling me what I already know, this meeting will be over, and I'll pull your fucking funding."</p><p>"Remember who you're talking to. Keep threatening me and I'll throw you to President Vikhrov's wolves."</p><p>"Can't do that if you're dead."</p><p>"If I die, Deputy Prime Minister, you and your entire family will be killed." Matvei watched the woman coldly. "Call it life insurance."</p><p>Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Valeriya Shumeyko cracked a smile, and she opened her purse to pull out a pack of smokes and a lighter. She put one between her lips before offering another to Matvei.</p><p>He accepted.</p><p>Valeriya lit Matvei's cigarette first, and then hers. The two exhaled in unison, their sighs sending smoke clouding about the suite.</p><p>"We've never gotten along." Valeriya took another drag, and smiled softly. "Even back in school, Matvei - I fucking hated you."</p><p>The man peered over at her. "Trust me, it was mutual. Still is."</p><p>The pair sat in silence. The crowd roared as one of Russia's strikers kicked a wicked shot that arced perilously close to the goal post, only to be knocked away by the opposing goalkeeper.</p><p>The game raged on below them, beyond the glass; but it was nonexistent for both Matvei and Valeriya, who were presently lost in the past.</p><p>Matvei flicked ash from his cigarette. "You ever wonder what life would be like if Beslan hadn't happened?"</p><p>"All the time."</p><p>"That's what keeps me going." Matvei paused. "That's all I have left, Val. They killed Yegor."</p><p>The woman glanced sideways at him. "I heard."</p><p>"He was ready to die - but not like that. He didn't get to go as we planned. I... we were not prepared for that response from the Belgians."</p><p>"Indeed." Valeriya tapped her cigarette on the ashtray. "It was... quite efficient."</p><p>Matvei inhaled deeply. "How are things on your end?"</p><p>Shumeyko crossed one leg over the other where she sat. "According to plan, except President Vikhrov is considering canceling the visit to the U.S. after Chernyev's sudden death." She looked over at Matvei pointedly. "That was not easy, by the way."</p><p>"If it were easy, someone would've done it by now."</p><p>Valeriya shrugged. "In any case, I'm going to have to convince Vikhrov to go through with it. We did not make the splash we wanted in Brussels, but we're on the map, now - the world knows we're serious."</p><p>"Mm." Matvei peered through the smoke at the stadium's fans, raging over a bad call by the referee. "It was also enough to secure our bid with my contact in India."</p><p>"That is good news, Matvei. That man can be trusted?"</p><p>Matvei leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "As soon as my men bring payment. And no; I'm not worried about Khatri. And you? Do you think anyone knows?"</p><p>Valeriya snorted. "No. If they did, you and I would not be speaking, now. Vikhrov would already have had us gutted and bleeding out in some abandoned gulag."</p><p>"So the plan stands."</p><p>"It does." The Deputy Prime Minister ashed her cigarette a final time before sticking it into the ashtray, and put on her sunglasses. "I'll handle President Vikhrov. You handle your end of things. Have your people swayed?"</p><p>Matvei shook his head. "No. The failure in Belgium actually motivated them."</p><p>"Good." Valeriya stood with a sigh. "Have you decided on a location for the next part of the plan?"</p><p>"I have."</p><p>"And?"</p><p>Matvei put out his cigarette and stood. He faced Valeriya blankly. "Just watch the news, day after tomorrow."</p><p>"Fine. I'll keep you informed. I trust you'll do the same." Valeriya turned on her heel and began walking for the suite entrance, but she halted and turned back. "And, Matty - I'm sorry about Yegor. We will avenge him as well as those we lost at Beslan."</p><p>Matvei nodded. "Thank you. I'll be in touch."</p><p>He watched her leave icily. Shumeyko thought he had secured a large cache of explosives and guided anti-aircraft missile launchers; but Matvei had actually worked out a deal to obtain materials to build a portable nuclear bomb.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. “A POSSIBILITY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow debriefs after the op in Brussels.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>RAINBOW HEADQUARTERS<br/>BRIEFING ROOM<br/>HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>Rainbow spent the remainder of the day carrying out its routine drills and training regimens. Director Six announced a briefing scheduled for 18:00 hours, and it was on everyone's mind as they went about their daily tasks.</p><p>The sun dropped over Hereford, and darkness soon began to reach overhead when the meeting was finally underway.</p><p>Harry stood at the front of the Briefing Room. All operators had filed in and found their places at the classroom-style seating reminiscent of a collegiate lecture hall.</p><p>All but two.</p><p>Finka, of course, was not present because she was packing for her mandatory vacation.</p><p>The hall was alive with chatter. Harry was reviewing notes on his laptop, keeping a watchful eye on the door for the one missing operator.</p><p>"—saying if you don't like it, don't drink it," Mute was saying.</p><p>"It's the only coffee there is," Buck answered. "It's that or nothing."</p><p>"Too strong for you?" came Frost with a grin.</p><p>Buck frowned. "A good pot of coffee requires finesse. It is a skill."</p><p>Mozzie was sitting behind Buck, and he leaned forward to tap the man's shoulder. "You know what else is a skill? Engineering. Drones and shit."</p><p>"Okay?"</p><p>"And what do you do, mate? Switch to your Master Key shotgun or whatever, point and shoot?"</p><p>Buck grinned. "It's 'Skeleton Key', mate."</p><p>"Ya point and shoot, regardless." Mozzie winked at Frost. "I can do that, too. But I also do cool shit like engineering."</p><p>"I'll give you that." Buck turned in his seat and faced Mozzie with theatrical anger. "But can you make a decent pot of coffee?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Then shut the fuck up."</p><p>The operators in earshot all laughed. Mozzie held up his hands as if he'd just been shot, and leaned back in his seat while flailing his arms in slow motion as if he were flying through the air.</p><p>He accidentally slapped Ying's knee, who sat behind him, and she in turn swatted him upside the head, coercing more laughter.</p><p>The door to the briefing room opened, and Bandit hurriedly stepped inside and made a show of sneaking to his seat. His peers snickered.</p><p>Harry allowed a grin. "Nice of you to join us, Brunsmeier."</p><p>"Sorry I'm late, Harry." Bandit sank into his seat between Jäger and Echo. "I had to piss."</p><p>"Dom?" called Alibi from across the room. "Were you pissing on one of your live batteries or something? You look like shit."</p><p>Bandit cocked his head towards the woman, eyes wide. "Of course not. You know that was a one-time incident."</p><p>"Your hair looks all staticky."</p><p>"Fine. I was sleeping. I slept through my alarm. I have bed head." Bandit held up a finger. "Before anyone says anything - yes, late afternoon naps are a thing. Fuck you."</p><p>Laughter sounded again, but the chortles trailed off when Director Six finally stood.</p><p>"Right," Harry began. "It's been three days since Brussels. Operation Grey Falcon of course introduced a new threat, and I've been in touch with Belgian authorities on their prisoner."</p><p>"You mean Nøkk's prisoner?" sounded Twitch, bumping Nøkk's shoulder encouragingly.</p><p>Harry smiled. "The very same. Now, tonight's briefing is to discuss what Belgium has learned." He turned and clicked a remote control, and the massive flatscreen monitor behind him came to life. The mugshot of a handsome man came into view. His temple was heavily bruised, where Nøkk had struck him unconscious."</p><p>"This is Petr Tverdovsky. Russian. Grew up in Novosibirsk before his family moved to Beslan."</p><p>In the rear of the room, Caveira quietly stood and moved to the light switch on the wall near the door. She flipped it to dim the lights.</p><p>"Thank you, Pereira." Harry clicked to the next slide. "Eight years ago, Tverdovsky began attending Moscow State University. He excelled in his studies and showed an interest in science. He originally pursued simple general studies. After two years he declared a major, and his interests shifted to engineering-physics."</p><p>IQ was shaking her head. "What a waste of intelligence," she whispered to Blitz.</p><p>"Tverdovsky transferred to National Research Nuclear University MEPhI," Harry continued. "No scholarship, but his tuition was paid in full, as well as his living expenses."</p><p>"By who?" called Kapkan.</p><p>Harry peered poignantly at the man over the top of his glasses. "An 'anonymous' patron - and the Belgians, as well as I, suspect this unnamed source to be wrapped up in November Sun itself. Here's why: we now have similar circumstances for seven of the other men that were present at the embassy in Belgium. Their education was paid for. They shifted their studies to nuclear science, engineering, and physics. Their studies all began in 2011."</p><p>Director Six clicked to the next slide, and the mugshots of the other seven men appeared next to Petr Tverdovsky. "Not only did they have that in common, but every one of these men were students attending SNO - School Number One - in Beslan, North Ossetia during the school siege in September of 2004."</p><p>Glances were exchanged around the room as Harry continued.</p><p>"As we know, the Beslan School Siege resulted in the deaths of many innocents, including students - and Russian military attempting to combat the terrorists that seized the school were responsible for many of the casualties."</p><p>"Is this revenge?" Maestro mused aloud. "Is November Sun a retaliatory cause?"</p><p>"It certainly seems a possibility," replied Harry. "The Belgians pursued that possibility, and the plot thickens. Let's talk about Dima Molchalin: the man you rescued at the bank, and Ambassador Kharkov, who runs the embassy you liberated. This all goes a bit deeper."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. “A CLEAR INDICATION”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Debriefing, continued.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry scooped up the glass of water at his podium. He took a lengthy drink, set the glass down, and turned back to the wall monitor. "We'll start with Timur Kharkov, the Ambassador of the Russian Embassy."</p><p>He clicked to a new slide. Ambassador Kharkov's face came to the forefront of the screen, as well as accompanying info and bio.</p><p>"Kharkov has a brother - Oleg. Oleg is a member of the Russian OMON." Harry clicked the remote. A photo appeared of men in green combat fatigues and tactical gear standing near a tank, whose main gun was trained on a building in the distance. "Before he began his career with OMON, Oleg served the FSB as a member of the Vympel Spetsnaz unit. This is him with some comrades outside of the school in Beslan, on Day Two of the siege."</p><p>Kapkan whispered something to Tachanka, who jotted some notes down on his tablet.</p><p>Harry advanced the slide show. "Dima Molchalin, CEO of Belgian United Financial. Thanks to your efforts, he and Ambassador Kharkov are still breathing. By now, you've all seen the terrorist's video with Dima in custody multiple times." He hit play on the video, and the scene from just days before began playing out once more.</p><p>The two terrorists stood with Mr. Molchalin held hostage between them.</p><p>""We are November Sun," the woman stated. "To all agencies and police forces in the area; to the counterterrorism unit coming down the halls for us now; hear us."</p><p>Harry let the video continue, but spoke over it. "At this point, it's pretty clear that these men and women did not expect to get out alive."</p><p>"—Molchalin," the woman was continuing on the video. "You are a very special person today, Dima Molchalin. Do you know why?"</p><p>Director Six paused the video. He folded his arms and looked up at the monitor. "At this time, Guardian ran facial recognition on these two. Combined with what the Belgians have learned, here's what we know: the woman on the left is Petra Annikova. Her comrade is Dusan Turgenev. Both attended School Number One in Beslan. They were classmates of Petr Tverdovsky. Can you see where this is going?"</p><p>A collective murmur of acknowledgment sounded across the room.</p><p>Harry looked out at his operators. "Anyone want to guess what college Petra and Dusan attended?"</p><p>"National Research Nuclear University in Moscow?" came Rook.</p><p>"Precisely." Harry took another sip of water. "And now for the bank owner. Annikova states that today is a 'very special day' for Molchalin. As it happens, Dima Molchalin used to serve in the Russian armed forces."</p><p>Blitz was drumming his fingers on his desk. "Let me guess: he was at the Beslan siege?"</p><p>"Indeed he was." Harry went to the next image, showing a younger Molchalin in OMON gear with a Kalashnikov rifle in-hand.</p><p>"This is all but a clear indication of it all being a vengeance thing," Ash remarked.</p><p>"Certainly seems that way."</p><p>Mira sat up straighter in her seat, having been slouched for most of the briefing. "So November Sun are survivors of the Beslan School Siege? They all grew up with a vendetta and are finally acting on it?"</p><p>"Possibly." Harry leaned on his podium. "We don't yet know if everyone in the organization was at the school, but a substantial amount of them are confirmed to be, so far."</p><p>"And they're taking down people who were there," Smoke mused aloud. "There were a lot of kids accidentally killed by the Russians who were supposed to be rescuing them."</p><p>"Accidentally?" came Kaid, "or carelessly?" The suggestion drew a subtle glare from Fuze.</p><p>"Or they're taking out people related to those who were with the Russians during the siege." Montagne gestures to the screen. "Like Ambassador Kharkov. He wasn't actually at the school siege, but his brother was. Why go after him?"</p><p>Pulse shrugged. "Maybe they can't find Oleg, and going after the Ambassador was the next best thing?"</p><p>"Eye for an eye?" came Gridlock. She looked up at the screen, brow furrowed in thought. "To hurt Oleg, they go after his brother?"</p><p>Castle folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. "I don't imagine the Russians have many any official statements? Have they touched base with the Belgians?"</p><p>Harry shook his head. "As of now, they have not officially commented or reached out to Belgium."</p><p>"This could be any number of things," Castle continued. "If they're going after the families of men who were at the siege, we'd have to... what, warn all the families? How do you put that much security in place?"</p><p>"Good questions," replied Harry. "As of now, multiple agencies are trying to contact President Vikhrov and get something rolling. I know the CIA and MI5 have been coordinating some intelligence briefings with Belgian State Security Service. As of now, there's too much up in the air for a direct course of action, but we're on high alert in the days to come. Is that understood?"</p><p>A chorus of affirmatives rang out across the Briefing Room.</p><p>Director Six shut down the video feed. "Teams 1 and 2, you're in reserve now. Teams 3 and 4, you're on deck. Be ready for deployment at the drop of a hat. Team 5, Team 6, I want you prepped as well. With such a broad scope of possible targets, we have to be prepared to be deployed in multiple locations simultaneously. Valkyrie, Twitch, I want you to assist the agencies I mentioned in gathering intel, since your units are on reserve. Does everyone understand?"</p><p>Everyone acknowledged. </p><p>"Any questions?"</p><p>"Yes." Mozzie grinned. "What kind of name is 'November Sun' anyway? Who the hell names a terrorist organization that? Honestly?"</p><p>Jäger chuckled. "Better than December Clouds."</p><p>"Or April Fools," chimed Jackal.</p><p>Mozzie snorted in laughter. "That was actually hilarious."</p><p>"Mozzie does bring up a good point, for once," Harry added with a subtle smile. "We are looking into the name. Since the Beslan School Siege was in September of '04, we're still not entirely sure what the significance of 'November Sun' is. Time will tell. You all are dismissed."</p><p>The men and women all dispersed. Their chatter droned into one single torrent that echoed through the room, until it trickled into silence as the door closed behind them all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. “SCARED”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lera leaves base for her “involuntary” vacation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Night had fallen. The lights illuminating Rainbow HQ in the midst of the SAS base in Hereford cast a white haze across the dark sky, mixing with the soft glow of the moon overhead.</p><p>Finka stood alone outside the Visitors Center. A cold wind swept across the circular parking lot. She pulled her leather jacket tighter around her by habit - the wind wasn't that cold, really - and she looked down at her feet when she felt a chill on the front of her thigh.</p><p>There were two small tears in her dark jeans, just above the knee.</p><p>She sighed, annoyed, and let her rucksack fall to the concrete with a thud. Where the hell was her ride?</p><p>"Lera."</p><p>Finka turned to see Tachanka jogging her way. He raised a hand in greeting.</p><p>"Alex?" The woman smiled. "What are you doing out here?"</p><p>"What, you think you're just gonna slip away without a word?" The man grinned and slowed to a stop beside her. "Just wishing you well and all that."</p><p>Lera's eyebrows narrowed, but her features remained alight. "Wish me well?" she echoed. "Since when?"</p><p>"I... just wanted to talk to you before you went."</p><p>"About?"</p><p>Alex's smile faded slowly. He thrust his hands into his pockets and looked up at the moon. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."</p><p>"Oh, Jesus. I don't—"</p><p>"I know, I know. You don't want to hear that shit." He looked over at her. "I don't care. Me and the boys are worried. What's happening? Where are you going?"</p><p>Lera sighed crossly. "Nowhere."</p><p>"Nowhere?"</p><p>"Just a vacation."</p><p>"A vacation? That's somewhere."</p><p>"Ugh. Don't worry about me, Alex. I'm just going on vacation."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"After... after the other day in the control room—"</p><p>"When you fainted."</p><p>Lera glared at him. "Fuck you."</p><p>Alexsandr faced her. "What? It happened. That doesn't make you weak."</p><p>"I don't really want to be talking about weakness with anyone. Not now. Not right before I leave." Lera paused. "Not with you."</p><p>Tachanka's eyes grew soft, a rare occurrence that seemed to only be happening around Finka in recent months. "Not with me?"</p><p>Lera rolled her eyes. Instead of answering the man, she folded her arms and swept her gaze out over the parking lot. The gate guards in the distance could be seen pacing about, switching up their shifts. "I don't want to talk about any of this. I don't even want to go. Harry ordered me to."</p><p>"How long?"</p><p>"Four weeks."</p><p>Alex pursed his lips and nodded without a word, now understanding her apprehension.</p><p>Lera sighed. "I shouldn't be going anywhere. Not with this new threat. Not with my neuropathy coming back."</p><p>"Lera."</p><p>"I need to stay on top of this. I need my lab. I have to monitor things. Last thing I need to do is take a fucking vacation. I can't—"</p><p>"Lera."</p><p>"What!?" the woman exploded. "What, Alex?"</p><p>The pair stared at each other for a long moment. Lera's chest was rising and falling as she tried to contain herself.</p><p>"Lera." Alexsandr took a step towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders.</p><p>"Stop saying that," she ordered coarsely. She lifted her eyes up to meet Alex's gaze. They shimmered with tears in the moonlight. "I don't want to die, Alex," she whispered suddenly, her voice cracking. "I'm fucking scared."</p><p>"You won't."</p><p>"You don't know that."</p><p>Alex slouched slightly in his stance to lower his gaze to match hers. "Look at me."</p><p>She did.</p><p>"I am looking at the strongest person I've ever met," he said softly. "You are strong, smart. You're fucking unstoppable, and you look hot when you're holding a gun."</p><p>Lera tried unsuccessfully not to smile.</p><p>"You'll get through this. Just take a breather for a few weeks. It'll help." Alex straightened again and let his hands fall from her shoulders. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"Back home to Belarus." Lera wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. "Going to visit family. Then, maybe Moscow. I don't know."</p><p>"It'll be good for you."</p><p>Headlights washed over the gate up ahead. The guards checked the car before allowing it through, and the driver - an on-base SAS operative - pulled around and eased to a stop in front of Finka and Tachanka. The driver exited, rounded the vehicle, and pulled the passenger door open for Lera.</p><p>The woman shrugged and knelt to scoop up her rucksack again. "If I get drunk, I might text you."</p><p>Alex chuckled. "Good. FaceTime me. We can do some shots together."</p><p>Lera suddenly stepped close to the man and tilted her head upward. "Thank you," she whispered, and embraced him tightly. "Watch after our Spetsnaz boys, yes? They fight too much."</p><p>Before Alex could say anything, Lera turned and got into the car. He was so stunned by her sudden show of affection that he stood on the curb long after her car passed out of view beyond the front gate.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. “PREVENTATIVE MEASURES”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow briefs for another mission.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 9, 2019<br/>RAINBOW HQ - FIRING RANGE<br/>HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>The CQC obstacle course was ready. The sounds of targets being electronically restored sounded throughout the range, a familiar and welcome sound for Ela Bosak - especially first thing in the morning.</p><p>The woman pulled her hat snugly over her green hair and rolled her neck slowly this way and that, trying to stretch out the stiffness she felt on the left side. When she was ready, she pulled her FO-12 semi-automatic shotgun to her shoulder, planted her feet, and focused her eyes ahead.</p><p>"Ready," she announced.</p><p>"Copy that," came the Range Master over the intercom. "CQC Course 4 activated. Countdown commencing in three... two... one..."</p><p>Though Ela heard the man's voice, she was focused on the signal lights at the edge of her vision. As the Range Master counted down, the lights illuminated with each count, until at last the green light signifying the time attack dinged to signal her to begin.</p><p>The woman moved with lethal precision. Every sprint was calculated. Every sidestep that kicked dust into the air was planned. Every squeeze of the trigger sent a wicked blast reverberating off the concrete walls of the indoor range. Paper targets were shredded by her shotgun's buckshot.</p><p>As she neared the end of the course, a surprise target suddenly swung out on a pivot bar, nearly smacking her in the face.</p><p>That was new.</p><p>In one fluid motion the woman slid to her left, let her shotgun fall idly to the side, drew her dagger with her other hand, and swiped up at the target.</p><p>The steel of her blade nearly tore the paper target in two, reducing the target to a fluttering curtain that rippled with the breeze as Ela rushed by.</p><p>She braced her shotgun at the ready and sped down the corridor ahead of her, mentally preparing herself for whatever other new surprises Director Six might have had installed.</p><p>Suddenly the industrial lighting switched on with a loud echo that sounded through the range. Red lights bathed the course in a crimson glow, and the buzzer sounded over the intercom indicating the course was over.</p><p>Ela skidded to a stop. "The hell?" she breathed. She turned on her heel to face the Range Master's booth suspended above the course, and raised her arms out from her sides in demand. What the fuck? she mouthed.</p><p>"Course suspended," came the man over the intercom. "Deployment imminent, Bosak. Please report immediately to the Situation Room."</p><p>The woman's angry eyes softened in realization. She shouldered her weapon and rushed back the way she had come, annoyed that she had been cut short in what might have been her best timing yet for Course 4.</p><p> *          *          *</p><p>Harry stood at the front of the briefing room. He had summoned Ela, her sister Zofia, Bandit, Jäger, Blackbeard, Ying and Lesion 3; as well as IQ, Blitz, Castle, Tachanka, Kapkan, Warden, and Alibi of Team 4.</p><p>Harry activated the digital monitor behind him. "Let's begin." He pulled up a mugshot of a rugged man with a thousand-yard stare. "We know this man as Tsar, the leader of the thwarted attacks in Brussels. His real name is Yegor Federov. As with most of his other companions, it seems Yegor's education was paid for in Moscow by an unknown party - and he, as well, was a student at SNO during the Beslan School Siege."</p><p>The operators shot knowing glances at one another.</p><p>"Belgian authorities just got off the phone with Douglas Lilly." Harry folded his arms. "They seized Federov's phone on-location. Their people ran traces, diagnostics. Long story short, we believe what we saw in Brussels was just part of November Sun's operation."</p><p>"Never simple, is it?" quipped Jäger.</p><p>Harry shook his head. "Rarely. Now, we have multiple calls to and from an untraceable number. No text. There are, however, numerous emails to what appears to be a shell account created remotely. We have no idea where, or by who, this email was created by. Its creation was routed, then re-routed, by multiple encrypted servers in three different continents. Though we can't know exactly who that recipient is, we now think we have an idea."</p><p>Harry pulled up an older photo of a group of teenagers in the street outside a building in Moscow. They were making silly poses and vulgar gestures. "Moscow, 2008. Yegor Federov, AKA Tsar, is there, on the left. The lad with his arm around Yegor is confirmed to be Matvei Federov, his brother." He zoomed in on the image and panned right "Three of the six other boys were in Brussels, and reviewed during our briefing last night. That's Petr Teverdovsky there, on the opposite end."</p><p>Blitz whistled lowly. "Gotta hand it to these boys. They know how to hold a grudge."</p><p>Harry nodded. "Indeed. Multiple communications between Yegor and that encrypted email hint towards an attack planned for tomorrow, September 10."</p><p>The operators shifted in their seats and exchanged knowing glances. "Where?" asked Zofia.</p><p>"It's no secret that the Americans, Chinese, and Russians have a summit scheduled in D.C. in the afternoon of September 10." Harry stifled a yawn. "The communications reference the east coast of the United States, and a high profile 'meeting'. It is well within reason to assume the Joint Summit is a potential target."</p><p>Alibi rested her chin on an open palm. "What does the summit have to do with the Beslan School Siege, or November Sun?"</p><p>"Admittedly, we can't make a connection." Harry brought up a new set of images outlining a large area of downtown Washington D.C. "Despite this, you will all be deployed to the site of the summit in coordination with Presidential security, purely as a preventative measure."</p><p>Ela frowned. "So we're not even sure anything will happen?"</p><p>"No, Ela." Harry looked at her pointedly. "In light of recent events, we've decided that such a concentration of high value targets in one area, coinciding with a specific date mentioned multiple times in a known terrorist's emails, more than warrants Rainbow's involvement."</p><p>The woman sighed. "Sorry, Harry. I know." She grinned. "I just had a really good time attack going at the range."</p><p>Harry chuckled. "Team 4 - I'm designating Warden as Team Leader. He has connections with the security staff you'll be working with and is more than familiar with the mission site."</p><p>Nods of acknowledgment met Harry's words.</p><p>"Now, the summit is being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown D.C." Harry zoomed in on the area. "Between 7th and 9th Street. The White House is just a few blocks away. "</p><p>"No pressure," IQ remarked sarcastically.</p><p>"Listen." Harry looked out at his operators solemnly. "The convention center is 2.3 million square feet. It has 77 break-out rooms, a parking garage, the largest ballroom in the region, and three levels not including the basement. The main Exhibit Hall alone is 703,000 square feet."</p><p>Castle scratched his stubbled jaw. "How are we supposed to cover that much area? That's impossible."</p><p>Director Six smiled. "It is impossible for two squads, yes; but you will only be in charge of security for the meeting site, as well as fall-back and extraction plans in case of emergency."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. “OWN WORST ENEMY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka’s plane lands in Moscow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 9, 2019<br/>SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA</p><p>Finka lugged her rucksack through the airport over one shoulder, while nursing a cup of coffee in the other hand. The flight had been just over three and a half hours to Moscow, and she was grateful it was such a short distance.</p><p>She was tired. Her mind felt foggy. The woman could practically feel new grey hairs growing from the stress she carried.</p><p>She exited the north terminal and stepped warily to the curb. Her Uber driver had sent a text that he was nearby just five minutes before.</p><p>The sooner she could get to her hotel, the better.</p><p>Finka sipped her coffee and looked up at the sweeping glass windows of the airport terminal. Fluffy white clouds reflected off of them, contrasting beautifully with the pitch blue sky. It had been over a year since she had last been to Russia, and it felt good. Familiar.</p><p>Her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, and she set down her rucksack to take a look. Tachanka had sent a pic - a purposefully awkward selfie with both Fuze and Kapkan flipping off the camera behind him. Have fun and have some vodka for us! read the caption.</p><p>Finka snorted and dropped her phone back in her pocket. She already missed her comrades, which felt strangely inappropriate. She disliked getting attached to places, circumstances.</p><p>People.</p><p>She found herself wondering how the hell Alexsandr managed to look ten years younger than he was. She would never admit it, but her longtime flirtation with the man had come easily, even from the beginning.</p><p>Their conversation the night before was suddenly playing out in her mind. The warmth in Alex's eyes, his encouraging words.</p><p>Lera felt guilty, suddenly. She had told him she was going back home to Belarus, but had instead booked a flight for Moscow. Why did she feel guilty about that? Because it had been years since she had seen her family? Because she had told Alex one thing, but done another?</p><p>But to feel bad about changing her mind - what sense did that make?</p><p>Her phone vibrated again. This time it was a call from her Uber driver, and he found Finka quickly amidst the passengers bustling about outside the terminal.</p><p>"Hello," the man offered, yawning as she slid into the backseat. "Mind if I play the radio?"</p><p>"That's fine."</p><p>"You want to choose the station?"</p><p>Finka shook her head. "No, thank you."</p><p>The driver swiped on his phone and connected an address to his GPS. "We're headed to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, yes?"</p><p>"Mm. Spasibo."</p><p>The man nodded and flashed her a grin in the mirror. "I will be quiet. I can see you are very tired."</p><p>Finka clicked her seatbelt in place and leaned on her elbow against the window. "Thanks," she grumbled.</p><p>The driver's eyes widened. "I - I did not mean disrespect. I'm sorry."</p><p>"It's okay. You're not wrong."</p><p>The man smiled apologetically before checking his mirrors and guiding the car out of the terminal parking. It would be a short drive to the Crowne Plaza, a 5-star hotel that Finka was very much looking forward to.</p><p>She had not led a luxurious life, so when Harry told her that Rainbow would pay food, travel, and shelter expenses for her trip, Finka seized the opportunity to treat herself.</p><p>She could not know, after all, how much longer she had to experience such things.</p><p>The woman clenched her jaw and shut her eyes, ignoring the cold window glass chilling her forehead. She couldn't think that way. She had spent nearly a lifetime training herself to avoid such bleak thoughts. That kind of negativity accomplished nothing.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Finka checked herself into the hotel without further incident, and when she entered her room, she was met with sunlight glowing beyond the window curtains and the clean fragrance of a well-kept space.</p><p>She dropped her bag on the queen-size bed and strode to the window. She parted the curtains and took in the view of the Moscow city skyline that jutted upwards into the seemingly endless blue.</p><p>An entire city bustled about beyond the window glass. What did she matter in the grand scheme of things? Nobody down there even knew she existed. They did not know of the battles she had fought in the shadows for years with the FSB, Rainbow. They knew nothing of her research. Nothing of her condition.</p><p>If she were to disappear, right then and there, would the world even care? Would it even matter?</p><p>Finka leaned gently against the window and rested her forehead against her forearm. Sleep tugged at her eyes, and she watched the muted lives of the city bustle about on the streets below.</p><p>The negative thinking was coming easier, wasn't it?</p><p>The woman finally straightened and closed the curtains. She turned and shrugged out of her leather jacket before kicking off her shoes and pulling off her jeans.</p><p>Her eyes found the mini bar. Finka sighed. She had once had quite the problem with alcohol; it had helped her cope with her existence, at first, before graduating to an addiction that threatened her life. Her relationships. Her future.</p><p>The woman tiredly pulled off her t-shirt and trudged into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and looked up at herself in the mirror for a long moment.</p><p>Her eyes were fierce as ever. Her body was strong, toned - the scar on her face spoke of her resilience.</p><p>Finka absently traced a finger against her firm belly. The bathroom lighting flattered her body's muscle tone, but she felt nothing but dread while looking at herself.</p><p>She had taken great care of her body; more than most folks could ever hope to understand. Yet, for all the muscle she had gained, all of the training she had put herself through, all of the hardship she had faced, her body was still her greatest threat.</p><p>Somewhere under that skin was an invisible sickness that wanted to eat away her muscles and their ability to function. It was getting worse with each passing year.</p><p>The woman leaned her open palms on the bathroom sink and stared hard at herself. "Lera," she whispered. "You will not think that way. You will turn this around. You are not your disease. You are your response to your disease."</p><p>They were harsh words, perhaps budding from an unfair pressure Finka had put on herself years before - but they had helped her on more than one occasion.</p><p>After a silent moment with her own thoughts, Lera splashed more water on her face before turning out the lights. She flopped down on the hotel bed, too tired to even draw the blanket over herself, and she waded into the waters of sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. “BRIEFING EN ROUTE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow’s plane touches down in Washington, D.C.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 10, 2019<br/>
DULLES NATIONAL AIRPORT<br/>
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>10:29</i>
  </p>
</div><p>Collin "Warden" McKinley adjusted his glasses as he strode purposefully for the curbside pickup outside the International Arrivals terminal. His fellow Rainbow operators followed. They were all dressed in casual clothing, and would be posing as a specialized UN task force.</p><p>Warden much preferred Reagan National Airport, but Dulles was more accommodating for international flights. He checked his watch and steered sharply past a coffee kiosk. "Our rides are here," he announced softly into his mic. "Security team will shuttle us to the convention center."</p><p>IQ faltered in her step at the coffee stand. "Wait."</p><p>Nobody did. </p><p>The woman rolled her eyes and jogged to catch up to her companions. "No time for coffee?" she grumbled as she neared Blitz.</p><p>"Not when Collinn's leading the parade," the man answered with a grin. "Man on a mission, that one."</p><p>"Studies have shown that caffeine helps soldiers stay more focused and alert on-mission."</p><p>Blitz frowned. "Which studies?"</p><p>"There's probably one somewhere. That's not the point, Elias."</p><p>"I know." Elias chuckled and threw an arm around the woman's shoulder. "I told Harry we need to get you a coffee packet integrated into your helmet. Hook that up to an IV, and boom. You're good to go."</p><p>IQ elbowed Blitz, who only laughed harder, and the pair nearly stumbled into the Bosak sisters, who shoved them lightly away.</p><p>The entourage was soon outside, and they were met by Secret Service agents and a motorcade of black armored SUVs. A man in a suit stepped from the ranks to meet them, adjusting his earpiece. His serious face broke into a wide smile when he saw Warden. "McKinley?" he exclaimed in surprise, extending his hand. "No shit. How long has it been?"</p><p>Warden remained suave as always as he shook the man's hand. "At least two years, Dodd. How you been?"</p><p>"Can't complain." Dodd nodded a greeting at the other Rainbow operators as they neared. "The summit starts at 15:00 hours. Let's get going. I'll brief you all en route."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>The motorcade headed from the airport to the Washington Convention Center, and Dodd voiced his briefing over the radio, which came over headsets that were already awaiting users in each vehicle.</p><p>"We have three elements we're running security for: Knife, Dragon, and Stone. POTUS is designated 'Knife' - President Yi is designated 'Dragon' - President Vikhrov is designated 'Stone' - now, I understand you have both Russian and Chinese specialists to act as liaisons for Dragon and Stone?"</p><p>"Yes," Warden answered. He knew Lesion and Ying, both from Hong Kong, weren't entirely keen on being considered 'Chinese' - they weren't even in the same car as him, but he could feel their disapproval over the radio.</p><p>"Excellent. The good news is there's so much security at this thing that we don't have to worry about bodyguards. What we're tasked with is defending a fallback position in the event of a threat."</p><p>Warden nodded. "What's the plan there?"</p><p>"We have multiple points of retreat ready if needed, to the north, south, east and west of the convention center - forwarding them to you now - but the primary location is the restricted-access parking garage beneath the center itself. It spans nearly the entire distance of the center overhead, with multiple choke points, long corridors, large rooms."</p><p>"And I assume the Russians and Chinese have been briefed on all locations?"</p><p>"That's correct." Dodd adjusted his earpiece. "The White House Chief of Staff has his guys coordinating communications between all three security details. We just need to be ready to do our part, and hope we're not needed. Now, if all of you would look at your tablets, we'll go over the itinerary."</p><p>The Rainbow operators looked to their handheld screens. The Secret Service agents seated among them did the same.</p><p>"Current time is 10:37. Press and media will be allowed entry at 13:30. Guests will begin arriving at 14:00. ETA to the convention center is 11:00. Plain-clothes walk-and-assess until 12:45, where we'll provide a tour of the AO. At 13:00, an hour before the guests' arrival and half an hour before press admittance, we will take our positions as designated." Dodd paused. "Any questions?"</p><p>"Yes," drawled Warden. "Who will be vetting the press?"</p><p>"Secret Service. No rent-a-cops here."</p><p>"Are we all stationing in one location and then reacting accordingly to potential threats?" cane one of Dodd's agents.</p><p>"Secret Service personnel will answer to me." Dodd swiped at his screen. "Our friends here from the UN will divvy up as they see fit, long as they keep us informed."</p><p>Warden nodded. "Wilco."</p><p>Dodd wore a polite smile, but he cleared his throat before issuing a final declaration. "Say again: all units, Secret Service and UN - this does not work without proper coordination. You will keep us informed of your movements and observations, and we shall do the same."</p><p>Warden grinned and switched off his radio. He motioned for Dodd to do the same, and the man obliged. "You don't have to worry about us."</p><p>"We'll see."</p><p>"We'll stay in our lanes, obey all the signs." Warden offered a firm nod of reassurance. "You have my word."</p><p>"After what MI-5 did during that op in London, I don't take chances, Collinn. That's all."</p><p>"Don't worry, Dodd. We're not MI-5."</p><p>Dodd gave another polite grin. "We'll see."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. “LUCKY CHAIR”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Guardian Element prepares in the Situation Room at Hereford.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>RAINBOW HEADQUARTERS<br/>HEREFORD, ENGLAND<br/>SITUATION ROOM</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>10:54</i>
  </p>
</div>The Situation Room was buzzing with activity like countless times before. Kate Harvell was syncing navigation systems and prioritizing comms channels. Agent Douglas Lilly was on the phone with one of his nameless CIA handlers. Intel Chief Vince Vion was preparing media displays and overseeing the automated pull of key Twitter feeds.<p>The entrance opened and four operators filed in. Meghan "Valkyrie" Castellano, Masaru "Echo" Enatsu, and Dr. Elena "Mira" Álvarez strode in briskly. On their heels was Recruit Nadolski, a promising young operator who specialized in fast-action breach-and-clear maneuvers.</p>
<p>Vince waved at them from the other side of the room. "Another day at the office?" he called with a grin.</p>
<p>Mira flashed a smile. "You know it."</p>
<p>Echo sank into the middle seat at the Guardian Support station. He felt someone tapping on his shoulder, and the man looked up to see Valkyrie standing indignantly over him. "Yes?"</p>
<p>"That's my seat, man."</p>
<p>Echo frowned. He looked down at the glass top table, swiped at the embedded digital screens a few times, looked under the table, and then made a show of inspecting the chair he'd sat down in. "Interesting. I don't see your name here anywhere."</p>
<p>Valkyrie folded her arms across her chest. "Seriously, Masaru?"</p>
<p>"Seriously. I really don't see your name anywhere."</p>
<p>Mira snorted as she tried to suppress a laugh. Valkyrie glared at the woman before slumping into an adjoining seat.</p>
<p>Echo stood, pulled his chair out, and gestured for Valkyrie to sit. "You know I'm fucking with you, Meghan."</p>
<p>The woman studied him for a moment before relenting. She sank into the center seat with a sigh of satisfaction. "Thanks. You know how I am with this seat."</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>"It's my lucky chair, dude."</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>Valkyrie clapped the man hard on the shoulder, jarring him so much that his elbows glided across his table screen, accidentally opening multiple unnecessary tabs. "You're a good man, Masaru. I don't care what Yumiko says about you."</p>
<p>Echo rubbed his shoulder gingerly. "Jesus," he protested. "Maybe hit the gym a little less often?"</p>
<p>"Maybe you should hit the gym more."</p>
<p>"Everyone ready?" called Kate.</p>
<p>Mira was situating her tabletop displays, and she projected a hologram of the Washington Convention Center into the middle of her table. "Ready to establish comms with teams on-site."</p>
<p>Kate pulled her headset on snugly and flashed a thumbs-up. "Roger. Six Actual; Three-One; Four-One; how copy?"</p>
<p>"Loud and clear," answered Harry.</p>
<p>"Team 3 copies," came Warden.</p>
<p>"Team 4 reads you," Tachanka replied.</p>
<p>Valkyrie cleared her throat before turning on her mic. "Guardian Two copies."</p>
<p>Mira adjusted her frequency. "Guardian Three copies."</p>
<p>"Guardian Four acknowledges," chimed Echo.</p>
<p>Kate Harvell's fingers glided over her keyboard, and her eyes danced between both of her computer monitors. "Comms are green all the way around, Harry. We're ready."</p>
<p>"Roger," Director Six answered, his voice crackling slightly over the radio. "Stand by for further updates. We're five minutes to AO. Six Actual, out."</p>
<p>"Can someone clean up Harry's frequency?" Kate called, not averting her eyes from her screens. "Little more static than I'd like."</p>
<p>"Already on it," responded Mira. She craned her neck over her shoulder. "Where's the recruit?"</p>
<p>"Here!" Recruit Nodalski was walking quickly for the Guardian Station, a tray of drinks in his arms. "I brought coffee."</p>
<p>"Impressive, Cameron." Valkyrie winked at the young man. "You might be Rainbow material, after all."</p>
<p>The recruit handed a cup to each of his peers. "Yes, ma'am. That's the idea."</p>
<p>Mira swiveled about in her chair to face the recruit. "Gracias," she said, taking her coffee. "Just like last time, Recruit. Sit back and watch us. Take it all in."</p>
<p>"Yes, ma'am."</p>
<p>"Pay attention to the flow of things. Pay attention to what we're doing, and what Kate and her people are doing," Mira continued, pointing across the room. "Guardian is like two arms of one being. Kate and Vince and their analysts are focused on logistics, overview. We are focused on specifics - mission parameters."</p>
<p>Nodalksi bit his lip. "Yes, ma'am."</p>
<p>Mira smiled faintly, detecting the recruit's apprehension. "Meghan, Masaru and I are focused on our operators on the ground. We're watching drone cams when they're not - we're making sure their comms signals aren't disrupted - we're watching their six, we're evaluating layout and floor plans when they might not have time to. We'll ping locations for them, listen to their call-outs."</p>
<p>"Yes, ma'am."</p>
<p>Valkyrie snorted. "You sound like a broken record, Recruit."</p>
<p>"Yes, m-... affirmative."</p>
<p>The Rainbow operators at the Guardian station shared a laugh, and Echo beckoned for Recruit Nodalski to sit.</p>
<p>"All elements," came Kate, "be advised: merging comms with Secret Service elements on-site. Callsigns only from this point on. Secure channel on standby if required."</p>
<p>"We're two minutes from the AO," informed Warden. "Guardian, stand by."</p>
<p>Mira took a deep breath and exhaled mightily. "Here we go. Seatbelts on, ladies and gentlemen."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. “A BAD FEELING”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov deviates from the plan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>MOSCOW, RUSSIA<br/>KHAMOVNIKI DISTRICT<br/>THE PASHKOV HOUSE</p><p>Matvei Federov had grown to love the quiet library in the Pashkov House. It housed enough rare books to keep one reading for an entire lifetime, and he enjoyed the peace that the quiet, dimly-lit atmosphere brought.</p><p>Indeed, he had frequented the library often in the months leading up to his daring coup against Mr. Krishkin and his comrades. Matvei and Yegor had spent many quiet nights planning, building, and preparing November Sun and its endeavors.</p><p>However, Matvei was not there that evening to read. </p><p>Truth be told, Federov was not having a good day. It had been rather turbulent, since he had made some last minute changes to the strike mission at the summit in the U.S.</p><p>These changes were spontaneous, and his men on the ground in D.C. were about to find out that Matvei would not be there for the op; that he in fact hadn't left Russia.</p><p>Matvei sighed and leaned back in his seat. He tipped a glass of cold vodka, neat, to his lips and savored the initial chill that was followed by the burn as he swallowed.</p><p>His men were ready to die for the cause. They were fanatics in every sense of the word, and Matvei was banking on their sheer dedication to the mission in order to make this work.</p><p>He took another sip. As he did, his lieutenant, Boris, emerged from the shadows with phone in-hand.</p><p>"Have you informed the Deputy Prime Minister of the changes?" Matvei asked quietly.</p><p>Boris's slight hesitation before answering was telling. "She wants to speak with you."</p><p>"I'm sure. I'll contact her soon."</p><p>"No, Matvei." Boris extended his phone in an open palm. "She's on the line."</p><p>Matvei raised his eyebrows. He took Boris's phone and straightened in his chair. "It's me."</p><p>Deputy Prime Minister Valeriya Shumeyko was curious, and her words cut like knives despite being brief. "You're still in Moscow. Why?"</p><p>Matvei cleared his throat. "That's better explained in person."</p><p>"You have half an hour to meet me at Location B." The woman paused. "If I don't like what you have to say, you're a dead man."</p><p>The line clicked dead. Matvei's jaw clenched, and he slowly lowered the phone and handed it back to Boris.</p><p>"Matvei, you know I'm with you until the end," murmured Boris. "But what's happening? Why didn't we join the others in D.C.? Why are they continuing without us?"</p><p>Matvei sighed and stood up. He pulled his jacket on and glanced about the shadows in the quiet library. "You want the truth?"</p><p>Boris nodded.</p><p>"Honestly? I have a bad feeling about it." Matvei folded his arms and shifted on his feet. "I think they'll see it coming."</p><p>"Who is 'they'? The Americans?"</p><p>"Americans, Russians, Chinese. Could be any or all of them."</p><p>"I... don't understand, Matvei. Why the sudden caution? Why abandon our comrades?"</p><p>Federov shot an icy glare at his lieutenant. "We're not abandoning anyone. Don't you fucking say that again."</p><p>Boris shrugged and offered a solemn nod.</p><p>"Let's go. We have half an hour to meet Shumeyko at Kutafya Tower. I'll explain on the way."</p><p>"What? The Kremlin? We're meeting her in the lion's den! I don't think it's wise to—"</p><p>"Boris: stop. You don't think I know that? You think I want to go meet a treasonous Deputy Prime Minister at the fucking Kremlin?" Matvei stepped close to the man and squared himself. He lowered his voice to a menacing whisper. "We have no choice. Do you trust me, or not?"</p><p>Boris did not look away from Matvei's stare. "Of course, comrade," he whispered. "I just want to know what's going on. That's all."</p><p>Matvei clapped the man on the shoulder and led the way out of the dimly-lit library. "Follow me. Now, I'll tell you what I'm going to tell DPM Shumeyko. They killed my brother in Belgium, and who knows who else they got. That means they'll have his identity by now. Going through his phone, all that shit. Maybe they took some of us prisoner. Maybe not. There's no way to know."</p><p>"And if they ID'd Yegor, they'd be able to ID you."</p><p>"Precisely. If they ID me, November Sun never sees completion. Our New Delhi contact, Khatri, will only complete the transaction if I'm present at the site."</p><p>The pair exited Pashkov House and snaked through the side courtyards to the front facade. They passed beneath the large frontal porticoes and jogged to their car in the nearby parking lot.</p><p>Soon they were off, cruising beneath the afternoon Moscow sky. As he drove, Boris chanced a look over at Matvei. "I never said it; I'm sorry about Yegor, my friend. Truly."</p><p>Matvei smiled ruefully, but dared not dwell on his brother's death. "Let me do the talking when we get there. She doesn't know about the bomb."</p><p>Boris's eyes widened. He glanced over at his comrade discreetly before accelerating to pass a slow-moving bus. "What?"</p><p>"The Deputy Prime Minister doesn't know about the bomb."</p><p>Matvei suddenly remembered to put on his seatbelt. As he clicked it into place, he looked over at his colleague with confidence. "We were supposed to have the nuke already," he informed. "That's what was going to go off in D.C. Our contacts in India fucked something up, so it's delayed. Our comrades in America think I'm there with them, ready to put a mushroom cloud above the White House."</p><p>"You haven't contacted them?"</p><p>"I'm about to." Matvei produced his phone and triggered an encryption sequence. "They will attempt to eradicate all three leaders there... without the bomb. I have to decide whether to come clean with Valeriya Shumeyko about the bomb, or risk more lies. When it comes to our mission, I'm not sure where she draws the line."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. “WE NEVER REALLY KNOW”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov discusses things further with Boris.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Jesus." Boris's mouth was suddenly dry. "This is insanity, Matvei."</p><p>"No, Boris. Insanity is watching our friends, our teachers, get torn apart by soldiers who were supposed to protect us." Matvei hit CALL on his phone. "Insanity is watching my older sister burn along with half of her friends because some fuck ordered a Shmel rocket strike on a fucking classroom."</p><p>The pair drove in silence while Matvei's international call was directed. After a few moments, a man answered on the other line.</p><p>"Matvei?"</p><p>"Viktor."</p><p>"Where are you!? We've prepped and have been waiting for—"</p><p>"Viktor, listen close." Matvei gazed out the window at the passing Moscow cityscape, its pedestrians walking the streets completely unaware of the situation at hand. "I cannot be there with you today."</p><p>"What? What do you mean?"</p><p>Matvei shifted in his seat. He disliked lying in general, but it was necessary now, and so he doubled down and steadied his voice. "There's been a change of plans. The Kremlin is onto me. My contact there has betrayed us."</p><p>Boris cringed inwardly at Matvei's lie.</p><p>"I... what does that mean? Are you not here?!"</p><p>"I'm still in Russia, Viktor. We don't have the bomb. I think our supplier betrayed us."</p><p>That was not a lie.</p><p>"Viktor?"</p><p>"I'm here."</p><p>"Listen close, brother - the mission depends on you. Strike as planned."</p><p>"But we don't have the device," the man on the other line hissed. "That was the plan! You said—"</p><p>"Calm yourself. Things change."</p><p>"— for our lost comrades! For your sister, Matvei! How is that supposed to happen now?!"</p><p>"Viktor!" Matvei snapped. "Listen to me: calm down. Now."</p><p>The line went obediently silent.</p><p>Matvei inhaled sharply. "I've been compromised, brother. I have no choice. I am sorry I can't be there with you, but I'm retreating now to buy time. It's the only way the final step will be achieved - understand? I have to try. I promised Yegor and the others we'd complete our mission." He paused. "Now, I'm promising you."</p><p>After another lengthy silence, Viktor finally let out an exhale of acceptance. "Understood. We are to proceed, then?"</p><p>"Yes, comrade. You don't have the device, no - but you don't need it to make our voice heard, and the world will hear you, loud and clear."</p><p>"Matvei, we were all supposed to go with the explosion." Viktor lowered his voice. "What do I tell the men?! Fight to the death?"</p><p>"Precisely. Let chaos be your voice."</p><p>A cold air seeped over the conversation. Matvei let his lieutenant on the other line process what he was saying for a few moments before continuing. "Viktor, it won't be easy, but we are the voices for our dead brothers and sisters, are we not?"</p><p>"Yes. Always. We'll be heard. You have my word."</p><p>Matvei nodded. "You all are lions among men. You will be remembered. Our fallen comrades will be proud."</p><p>"Thank you, sir. We'll see you on the other side."</p><p>"Good-bye, Viktor."</p><p>Boris watched Matvei hang up out of the corner of his eye. "Now what?"</p><p>"We meet with the Deputy Prime Minister, and I explain to her the delay with the nuclear device. She will do what she needs to do, but ultimately Shumeyko still needs us."</p><p>"She only needs us if she still wants the device, Matvei. Unless she can contact your supplier herself?"</p><p>"Negative. I'm the only one that they'll do business with."</p><p>"What exactly happened in India? Did the exchange go bad?"</p><p>Matvei shook his head. "I don't know yet. I need to make contact and figure it out. We had everything they asked for - the entire payment. I spoke with Khatri two nights ago, and he said all was well."</p><p>Boris slowed to a stop at a red light. "And still nothing from Yevgeni or the others?"</p><p>"Nothing," Matvei replied. "I've been trying his phone all day. Same with Vachislav, Arseny. No answer from anyone we sent to New Delhi."</p><p>"Fuck. I didn't like those rogue MARCOS guys from the start. They probably fucked us."</p><p>Matvei sighed. "I'll reach out to them after this meeting with Shumeyko. I'll explain the current situation." The man leaned his forehead against the passenger-side window. "As far as she knows, our interests align with hers - a new Russia, one with President Vikhrov removed from power. One where Russia does not cater to the West's whims, or America's sensibilities."</p><p>"You don't think she suspects anything?"</p><p>"No. I believe if she did, Shumeyko would have had us killed already."</p><p>"Hm. Suppose that makes sense."</p><p>Matvei and Boris rode in silence for a few thoughtful minutes, heading towards the Kremlin at the center of Moscow.</p><p>Matvei found himself restless as they drew nearer. "I'm a good judge of character, Boris," he said, breaking the quiet. "I met that rogue MCF commander in person - he did not strike me as the sort to plunge a knife into an ally's back."</p><p>Boris cursed under his breath. "But we never really know, do we?"</p><p>"No, we certainly do not."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. “LIAISONS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow preps in D.C. Harry makes a phone call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 10, 2019<br/>801 MT. VERNON PL, NW<br/>WASHINGTON, D.C., 20001, U.S.<br/>WALTER E. WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>12:48</i>
  </p>
</div>Pedestrian traffic was heavy between 7th and 9th Streets in downtown D.C., and as Harry sipped his coffee, he took another look down at his tablet. On it was a zoomed out diagram of the convention center and surrounding area, as well as beacons signifying his active operators' locations.<p>He took one more sip before swiveling his headset's mic into position. "All elements, be advised: twelve minutes before they open the doors to the media."</p><p>"Let them come," Tachanka joked. Even in Harry's earpiece, Alexsandr's voice was obnoxiously loud. "They say there's no such thing as bad press, Director."</p><p>"Call me Harry. Last time that I tell you, Senaviev."</p><p>"Damn!" chimed Bandit over the radio. "Sweet burn, Harry."</p><p>"Nobody says 'sweet burn', Dom," came Jäger. "Nobody except you, apparently."</p><p>Harry couldn't help but smile. "Enough. Keep the chatter to a minimum. Where are we at with the walk-and-assess?"</p><p>"Team 4 is heading back," Warden informed. "Team 3 is lagging a bit."</p><p>"Fuck off," interjected Kapkan. "You're like ten meters ahead of us."</p><p>Harry drummed a finger on the lid of his cup. "Tachanka, Kapkan - break off and assist Stone. You both are now designated 'Ural'. Shadow Stone's chief of security and act as you see fit. See that you keep us in the loop. Over."</p><p>"Roger that," Tachanka replied. "Moving to Stone. Confirming new designation: Tachanka, Ural One. Over."</p><p>"Kapkan, Ural Two. Over."</p><p>"Ying, Lesion," continued Harry, "you are now designated Jade. Break off and shadow Dragon. Keep us posted. How copy?"</p><p>"Affirmative," answered Lesion. "Moving to assist Dragon. Confirming new call sign: Lesion, Jade One. Over."</p><p>"Ying confirming - Jade Two. Over."</p><p>Harry scratched at his beard. "Good. Teams 3 and 4 - acknowledge reassignment of Ural and Jade elements."</p><p>"Team 3 confirms, over," came Jäger.</p><p>"Team 4 copies, over," Warden replied.</p><p>Director Six nodded, and adjusted his earpiece. "Guardian, HQ - you get all that?"</p><p>"Yes sir," responded Kate Harvell.</p><p>"Excellent." Harry began backtracking through one of the first floor exhibit halls. "I'm going to fall back to the surveillance station across the street. I leave the rest to you all. Team 3, Team 4, Ural, Jade - permission to act at your own discretion. Harry, out."</p><p>He moved toward the large glass doors leading out to 7th street, and Harry took a deep breath. Washington Convention Center was well over two million square feet of real estate. Luckily, Rainbow wasn't tasked with such an impossible patrol, but it was difficult for Harry to lay the responsibility down at another agency's feet.</p><p>If he could have it his way, Harry would have had Rainbow in charge of the entire security operation, and every one of his 48 operators on-site.</p><p>President Jackson of the U.S., President Vikhrov of Russia, and Chinese President Yi were meeting in one place for what would definitely mark a historic occasion, and meaningful change for the world. Never before had the United States, Russia, and China been so willing to cooperate and move forward to a global peace - one that brought the UN and the East shoulder-to-shoulder in a bid for a new era.</p><p>This was precisely what worried Harry. Another attack by November Sun was possible, but for all he knew, other threats were setting their sights on the summit that day.</p><p>Working in tandem with the secret services and security of all three nations made for a lot of moving parts.</p><p>Far too many for comfort.</p><p>Harry walked outside and navigated the growing crowd, trudging east across 7th Street towards a Subway sandwich shop on the street corner. Behind it were three unmarked vans full of surveillance staff and additional SWAT operators.</p><p>He took another drink of his coffee, and Harry flipped open his phone to make a long-distance call.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL<br/>KRASNOPRESNENSKAY NABEREZHNAYA, 12<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA</p><p>Across the world, Finka was still in bed when her cell rang on the hotel nightstand.</p><p>She groaned loudly and hoped it was a sales call that would leave some robo-message demanding her social security number and threatening jail time if she did not comply immediately. The woman was surprised to see that it was Director Six calling from his personal cell.</p><p>Her eyes widened. Finka swung her legs over the edge of her bed and sat upright as she scooped up her phone in haste. "Harry?" she managed, cringing at how dry and raspy her voice sounded.</p><p>"Hope I didn't wake you, Lera."</p><p>"Hm?" Finka stood without thinking. "No, sir. I was just..." she trailed off and glanced over at the clock. "About to get something to eat."</p><p>The man chuckled on the other side of the line. "Please, don't feel like you can't take it easy. If you need sleep, then sleep. That's what a paid vacation is for, yes?"</p><p>The woman grunted her agreement.</p><p>"Just checking in on you, making sure you're all situated on your end." Harry paused. "Thought I'd check on that other thing, too, because temptation is a bitch. I know firsthand."</p><p>Finka bit her lip softly and looked over at the mini bar. "So far, so good."</p><p>"Good. Call me if you need anything, Lera."</p><p>"Thank you, Harry." As she hung up, Finka looked at the bottle of vodka on her nightstand. She hadn't opened it yet.</p><p>She wished Harry's intuition wasn't so spot-on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. “JADE AND URAL”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jade and Ural detach join up with Russian and Chinese security elements.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>13:02</i>
  </p>
</div>Tachanka and Kapkan made their way down one of many hallways in an underground network not accessible by the public, and rounded a final corner before coming to a lengthy stretch of corridor leading to the makeshift headquarters for President Vikhrov's security detail.<p>"They look jumpy," Kapkan murmured quietly as they approached the entrance. Four armed guards in suits flanked the doorway, and two stepped forward cautiously.</p><p>"Stop glaring at everyone and we'll be fine, Max."</p><p>"I can't help it. It's the... bitch face."</p><p>Tachanka laughed heartily, his chortles booming down the corridor walls. "It's 'resting'  bitch face. Not just 'bitch face.'"</p><p>"I don't remember. It was just what Finka told me once."</p><p>"She wasn't wrong."</p><p>"Fuck off, Alex."</p><p>One of the guards up ahead held up a hand to signal the two Rainbow operators slow to a halt. "UN detachment?" he asked in Russian.</p><p>"Yes." Tachanka shook the man's hand, and nodded a greeting to the other bodyguards.</p><p>The guard motioned with a wave. "Apologies, but arms out to your side, please."</p><p>Tachanka and Kapkan obeyed, and two of the man's comrades stepped forward to frisk them both. Satisfied, they stepped back and voiced their approval to their officer.</p><p>"Good." The lead guard beckoned them forward. "President Vikhrov is inside, going over some last-minute changes with his staff. My men and I answer to Captain Kosonov. I'll take you to him."</p><p>The men followed the guard inside, leaving the other three security personnel to watch the door. They entered a large staging area with concrete walls that funneled into a small atrium, which housed a conference room with glass walls and a furnished long table with chairs.</p><p>The President of Russia, Daniil Vikhrov, sat at the head of the table, exuding reserved confidence and sharp resolve as always. Men in uniforms and men in suits filled the other seats.</p><p>Tachanka and Kapkan were ordered to wait outside. The door security lead beckoned to one of the men inside, who quietly stood and excused himself from the meeting. He was a handsome man in his late forties, with dark brown hair and a grizzled face, and his piercing green eyes surveyed the newcomers as he exited the room and strode to meet them.</p><p>"You must be the UN representatives." He extended his hand to the Spetsnaz operators. "Anton Kosonov, FSB. Security Lead for President Vikhrov."</p><p>Alexsandr shook his hand. "Tachanka."</p><p>Maxim stepped forward to greet him. "Kapkan."</p><p>Kosonov raised his eyebrows. "Callsigns? I can appreciate that. Follow me. We'll get you acquainted with the team, and points of interest.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Ying and Lesion were further down the main corridor, being escorted by two members of the Chinese security team.</p><p>They spoke the same language, but there was a heavy tension in the air, as relations between China and Hong Kong - Ying and Lesion's home - had long been strained, and it was palpable even now as they neared the entrance to President Yi's underground headquarters.</p><p>The duo had already been frisked, and so there was no delay as they passed through the entrance. Like the Russians' atrium, this one had a conference room and other amenities.</p><p>Ying and Lesion slowed to a stop. The conference room had already been adjourned, and some of the Chinese President's staff were still inside, wrapping up post-meeting matters and boxing up documents.</p><p>Lesion elbowed Ying discreetly. "You good?"</p><p>The woman nodded. "You?"</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>A moment later, a group of men in suits flowed around a hallway corner just ahead and strode for their position.</p><p>Most were armed, but at their center was President Huang Li and some other diplomats. President Li was scanning documents in his hands as one of his aides talked rapidly.</p><p>As they neared, one of the men broke off and walked briskly to meet the Rainbow operators. "United Nations liaisons?" he asked, shaking their hands.</p><p>"You can call me Lesion. This is Ying, my colleague."</p><p>"Good to meet you both." The man's hair was slicked back, and he ran a hand through it habitually. "I am Jianyu Yang, MSS. Come with me, please."</p><p>Ying and Lesion obliged, and exchanged discreet glances as they followed Jianyu down a small hallway, away from the hustle and bustle of the President and his staff.</p><p>"We are happy for your assistance. Our ambassador spoke very highly of your service records." Jianyu opened a glass door, and two armed guards saluted him as the trio passed. "As requested by your superiors, your operator kits were shipped prior to your arrival. I'm taking you to them now, in a secured area of one of the locker rooms."</p><p>Fluorescent lights overhead lit the way as their footsteps padded the concrete floor in a steady cadence. Eventually they reached the locker room, where most of the Chinese security team was suiting up.</p><p>Lesion and Ying felt the curious gazes of the MSS agents upon them as they walked in, snaking through the rows of lockers and following Jianyu to a dimly lit corner. A walk-in cage awaited, and Jianyu unlocked the padlock and stepped aside to allow Lesion and Ying to pass through. "Everything should be there."</p><p>Ying nodded. "Thank you."</p><p>"Of course. If there's anything else you need, please let me know. Once suited up, meet in the corridor. We will be convening with the Russians and Americans for a briefing."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. “CLASSIFIED R.O.E.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warden and the others prep in the convention center’s underground parking garage.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>13:09</i>
  </p>
</div>As their colleagues fell in with their Russian and Chinese counterparts, Warden and the other Rainbow operators filed into a third atrium that housed President Jackson, his White House Chief of Staff, and other American VIPs.<p>"This is Ural One," came Tachanka over the radio. "Ural has eyes on objective. Commencing overwatch of Stone element. How copy?"</p><p>Warden rested a hand on his MPX submachine gun idled across his chest. "Heard. Over."</p><p>Blitz and IQ sauntered up to Warden's side. The fluorescent lights overhead glinted brightly off their helmets. "Everyone's geared up, McKinley," informed Blitz. "What's the plan?"</p><p>"We're going to meet with the Russians and Chinese for a pregame briefing." Warden nudged his glasses tighter against the bridge of his nose. "Team 3 will convene with us shortly."</p><p>IQ shifted her weight to one leg, then the other, then back, stretching to warm up. "I don't know about this. Lot of players in this game."</p><p>Warden looked at her. "There a problem, Weiss?"</p><p>The woman snorted. "We have three alpha wolves and their security teams under one roof, and us - the 'UN', they think - all running defense detail for an attack that might not even happen."</p><p>"That's how these things go," Warden replied. "Spent years doing it in Secret Service."</p><p>"No, Collinn." IQ stepped closer and lowered her voice. "I'm not itching for something to happen. I'm afraid that if it does, there will be too many people giving orders to too many troops. It's dangerous."</p><p>"I see. I hear ya." Warden was a confident, sometimes cocky man, but not too much so as to shun the woman's concern. "Well, that's why we're here. Harry wants us here in case shit hits the fan."</p><p>IQ shrugged and nodded towards the Presidential Secret Service detail, headed by Agent Dodd. "As long as they know not to get in our way."</p><p>"Dodd's 'good people.' Promise."</p><p>"Hopefully we can say the same about the Russians and Chinese."</p><p>Radio static crackled in their headsets. "This is Jade Two," came Ying. "We've linked up with Dragon element. How copy?"</p><p>"Loud and clear," answered Warden. "Over." The sound of a chorus of boots on the floor reached his ears, and McKinley turned to see Jäger striding for them, flanked by the rest of Team 3. "You all good to go?" Warden called.</p><p>"Roger," Blackbeard replied. "If you can call 'waiting for something bad to happen' going anywhere at all."</p><p>"You're just not used to defense," jabbed Bandit. "We are camping, as the kids call it."</p><p>"Campers," Alibi corrected.</p><p>"Same difference."</p><p>Blackbeard rolled his eyes. "Where's my tent? My fishing pole? Beers around the fire? Don't look like campin' to me."</p><p>Bandit wagged a single finger scoldingly. "No. It's not actual camping. It's when someone's playing a video game, and they stay in one place and hide."</p><p>"I know. Fuck, Dominic, you of all people should know sarcasm when you hear it."</p><p>Before Bandit could retort, Agent Dodd approached and held up a hand to gain their attention.</p><p>"Alright, listen up. Our teams are convening for briefing in the main corridor with Stone and Dragon elements. Let's go."</p><p>Nearly forty armed men - some in uniform, in suits, others in plain clothes - joined the men and women of Rainbow to meet in the main underground corridor under the convention center.</p><p>Agent Dodd of the American Secret Service stepped to the front of the gathered troops. The FSB's Anton Kosonov joined him, as well as Jianyu Yang of the MSS. Translators flanked them.</p><p>"Good afternoon." Dodd rested his hands on the front of his body armor rig. "Everyone's acquainted? MSS, FSB, UN?"</p><p>Silent nods met him.</p><p>"Good. Now, we have over three hundred security personnel already above ground, from the rooftop to ground-level. You've all reviewed their current positions and rotations of their patrols. We are under strict orders to remain on standby in case of an incident. Do not - I repeat, do not - interfere with the security patrols and stationary positions. Let 'em do their jobs. Understood?"</p><p>More nods from all around.</p><p>"Excellent. Recap: President Vikhrov is designated 'Stone', President Yi is designated 'Dragon', and President Jackson is designated 'Knife'.</p><p>The translators rattled off Dodd's words in both Chinese and Russian. As they did, Dodd swept his eyes over the security brigade before him. "UN troops, step forward please."</p><p>All fourteen Rainbow operators did so.</p><p>"These men and women are from a special detachment. They have their own orders. Let me make something very clear: in the event of an emergency, these folks will be operating independently on classified ROE. Myself, Mr. Kosonov, and Mr. Yang will delegate orders to you all in accordance. Is that understood?"</p><p>Security staff from all three of the other factions looked to one another hesitantly, and low questioning murmurs floated from their midst.</p><p>"Maybe you didn't hear me," Dodd snapped. "Am I making myself perfectly clear?"</p><p>Acknowledgment among the ranks was nodded and mumbled, albeit reluctantly. It was understandable, given the strange circumstances - the UN had never been known to have a specialized counterterrorism unit, after all - but for security's sake, Rainbow had to operate under a false flag.</p><p>Agent Dodd tugged passively on the strap of his shouldered MP5A5. "If shit hits the fan, we secure Knife, Stone, and Dragon, and we fall back here, the underground parking garage. That will give us the room to maneuver and defend while extracting the VIPs. We've been over it." He swept his eyes over the crowd of security personnel. "Okay. Let's go."</p><p>As everyone dispersed, Bandit elbowed Jäger. "Hurry up and wait. Our favorite."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. “MR. LEBEDEV”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The beginning of the Joint Summit nears.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>13:33</i>
  </p>
</div>STREET LEVEL - EAST SIDE<br/>CORNER OF 7TH &amp; M STREET<p>Viktor Sidorov walked briskly on the sidewalk towards the looming convention center. The walkways were crowded with the turnout for the political summit, and he took a deep breath as he shouldered past some men in business suits.</p><p>This was it.</p><p>He knew that his comrades were in place in their predetermined positions, probably just as nervous as he was. How strange it was to have prepared for a moment for so many years, and then be so internally tested when it finally arrived - even if it wasn't going to happen exactly as planned.</p><p>Matvei was supposed to be there. The leader of the entire movement, absent from a strike that was supposed to have been the final statement of anger, a last scream of fury at the lawless, brutal killings of so many innocents at Beslan School Number One.</p><p>The strike on the Joint Summit was indeed originally to have ended with a mushroom cloud over Washington, D.C. But Matvei was not able to acquire the bomb, and so now Viktor and his men were left to their own devices... which, though formidable, paled in comparison to a nuclear blast.</p><p>It would not be of Biblical proportions, but they would still make their statement.</p><p>The man clutched at the duffel bag over his shoulder and tightened his grip on his camera slung over the other; he kept tugging at the Media Staff badge hanging on a lanyard at his neck. Posing as a member of the media was not as simple as it sounded - it involved counterfeiting documents and the badge itself with notable quality, as well as installing false records in pre-screened security databases.</p><p>Not easy at all, but they had managed. They didn't all get degrees in engineering and computer science for nothing. Now, the D.C. attack rested on Viktor's shoulders, and he gathered his wits as he approached the security guards at one of many side entrances restricted to staff only.</p><p>Matvei had his own problems, now. He had to acquire the bomb and carry out the final strike without Viktor and the others. The least Viktor and his team could do was their part in making November Sun's message known even further.</p><p>Viktor neared the security guards. Four were on-site security staff, and two police officers flanked them. One of them had a K9 unit on a leash.</p><p>Viktor smiled and slowed to a casual pace, holding up his badge. "Good morning."</p><p>"Morning." One of the guards motioned him forward and pointed to a bin on a small conveyor belt. "Please empty your pockets and place the contents into the bin. Set your bag on the belt."</p><p>Sidorov nodded and obeyed. He took care not to watch the police dog sniff at his bag.</p><p>The security guard beckoned him forward through the metal detector. "Step forward. Remain in place."</p><p>"Sure." As Viktor did so, he saw the K9 officer tug his dog gently away from the bag, satisfied that there was no suspicious contraband. One of the other security guards was watching a screen that had scanned the contents of the bag, and he nodded to a third colleague standing nearby, who promptly opened Viktor's bag and rummaged through it.</p><p>Viktor decided to take a chance and act his part. "I need to get my station set up, guys. It's just my camera and gear. I'm with RIA Novosti, Moscow."</p><p>The guards didn't answer, and the man kept his mouth shut and waited for them to finish their search. They would not find anything incriminating, after all.</p><p>"Looks good," one of the inspectors announced. "You're clear, Mr. Lebedev."</p><p>Viktor Sidorov flashed a grateful grin and shouldered his gear. As he entered the first floor of the convention center, he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened his contacts. He walked briskly toward one of the nearby escalators as he hit SEND.</p><p><i>"Da?"</i> came the voice on the other end.</p><p>"Is everyone in place, Dmitri?"</p><p>"All set."</p><p>"Good." Viktor leaned on the railing of the escalator as he rode up to the second floor. The crowded convention center was filled with the inaudible chatter of a hundred conversations bouncing off the tile and walls, one indiscernible rumble unaware of the terrorist in its midst. "I'm heading to the second floor."</p><p>"Sergei said package is in place. Door's open."</p><p>Viktor took a deep breath and checked his watch. He stepped around a businesswoman and apologized by polite habit. "Okay." He exhaled sharply. "For Beslan."</p><p>"For Beslan. I'll see you soon on the other side, brother. We all will."</p><p>"Good-bye, Dmitri."</p><p>Sidorov hung up and steeled himself against the gathering butterflies that bounced about in his gut. Thousands of people had shown up for the Joint Summit, so many that he had to sidle his way through the indoor crowds and steer around clusters of businessmen, press, political analysts, and tourists.</p><p>A man walked by holding his young son's hand, and Viktor stared at them both for a solemn moment. The sunlight shining through the enormous floor-to-ceiling glass panes shimmered into an ethereal glow as time seemed to slow. The noise of the people around them all merged together into one drone that echoed off the walls of Viktor's mind.</p><p>The boy and his father stepped in slow motion. The father was saying something that coaxed a goofy grin from the child's animated face.</p><p>Viktor froze. His heart iced over.</p><p>It was suddenly September of 2004 in Beslan, North Ossetia. Viktor was a twelve year old boy again. He was surrounded by his fellow classmates, all huddled together in a dark classroom. He was trying to calm his younger ten year old brother, Arkady.</p><p>Gunshots. A Chechen insurgent in camouflage shouted something Viktor couldn't understand. He and the boys and the girls cowered as two Chechens rushed into the room, rifles in hand.</p><p>An explosion outside. Another. Shots fired.</p><p>Viktor grasped his little brother tightly. He and the other children all screamed as gunfire riddled the classroom window. The head of one of the Chechens snapped back violently as a Russian bullet found its mark.</p><p>He embraced his little brother and tried to pull him away from the windows. The Spetsnaz rocket hit the building.</p><p>The wall shattered into a thousand pieces of stone, drywall, and glass. Shards scraped Viktor's cheek. The blast sent him, Arkady, the remaining Chechen gunman and a score of other children flailing through the air.</p><p>The wounded screams of the surviving children were too much for Viktor to revisit, even in the shadows of dreams. It was at this point he always snapped out of it, back to the present.</p><p>He was back, now - back at the convention center. His heart pounded. The flashback had dipped him into a cold sweat.</p><p>Viktor tore his eyes from the boy and his father and continued onward.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. “THE HEAVY GUNS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Viktor makes his move. IQ voices mission concerns.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Viktor navigated the crowded corridor. The televised conference was going to start in an hour, which meant that the press briefing would begin any moment.</p><p>He knew exactly where he was going.</p><p>The man passed a Starbucks shop and a neighboring McDonald's at a large food court before arriving at more stairs and escalators. He walked under them and opted for a quiet outlet at the edge of the large atrium, away from the shops and conference meeting rooms.</p><p>A pair of police patrolled nearby, hands resting idly on their vests as they surveyed the surrounding area.</p><p>Viktor trudged onward, careful to look casual and relaxed. He passed the officers without incident, nearly bumped into a businesswoman around a final turn of the hallway, and continued to a nearby Staff Only supply closet next to a series of vending machines.</p><p>There were still people everywhere, even this far from the main atrium, so Viktor pulled out his phone and pretended to be focused on whatever was on his screen.</p><p>In his experience, Sidorov had found that simply projecting confidence and keeping a casual air about oneself was surprisingly effective in gaining access to restricted areas.</p><p>He didn't look like a janitor, or security staff, no; but he reached for the Staff Only door and let himself in regardless.</p><p>Viktor flipped on the light inside and re-locked the door, which his comrade Sergei had left unlocked.</p><p>Sergei had been working at the Washington Convention Center for over a year, just so he could be in position to "accidentally" leave the supply closet unlocked and accessible.</p><p>Dedication had boded well for November Sun.</p><p>Viktor sidled past brooms, mops, a tool chest, and two supply lockers to the corner of the room. A large, unmarked burlap courier's bag was hidden in the shadows behind a mop bucket tipped inconspicuously against a floor buffer.</p><p>He unzipped the sack and smiled.</p><p>Awaiting him was another camera - a Canon XA11, just like the one he was already carrying - but the internals on this one had been hollowed out to house four bricks of C4.</p><p>Sergei had been able to sneak the bomb into the supply closet on his overnight shift.</p><p>Viktor set his jaw grimly as he discarded his normal camera for the bomb camera. He could have opted for a remote detonator, but had rejected the notion.</p><p>He was tired of living. Viktor would go with the blast. Perhaps he would see little Arkady in the afterlife? </p><p>It was time for vengeance, regardless.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Ying and Lesion followed the Chinese security detail closely. "This is Jade Two," she announced quietly over the radio. "We are moving to the conference floor. Escorting Dragon, eyes on VIP. Over."</p><p>"Confirmed," came Harry. "Ural, what's your status?"</p><p>"Still below ground," came Tachanka. "We're with Stone. He's shaking some hands with some suits, but we'll be up shortly. Over."</p><p>"Copy. Warden, how does security look?"</p><p>"Looks tight. I feel like there could be more staff at the atrium entrances, but I'm feeling good about it."</p><p>IQ stepped to Warden's side, keeping her eyes on the slope of the parking garage. "Collinn?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"This doesn't feel right." The woman was frowning beneath her balaclava. "I feel like we should be up there with the VIPs."</p><p>Warden didn't answer. He shifted on his feet and tugged habitually at his glasses.</p><p>"It doesn't feel right to be waiting all the way down here for something to happen," she pressed.</p><p>"I know," Warden answered quietly. "Harry's orders, Monika. We're just here as backup."</p><p>She frowned. "I don't like it."</p><p>"Alex and Kap are up there. So are Ying and Lesion. Hundreds of security personnel."</p><p>IQ grunted her dissatisfaction. "We're better than everyone else here. Why are we being held back?"</p><p>"They're saving the heavy guns in case shit hits the fan." Warden shrugged. He could tell she was agitated, which was unusual for the woman. "Come with me. I'm gonna talk to the Secret Service Chief."</p><p>"About what?"</p><p>"Just go over some plans, making sure we're all on the same page. Make sure Dodd knows to keep his people out of the way if something happens and the shit reaches us."</p><p>IQ followed Warden. Blitz was talking to Jäger nearby, and he flashed her a wink.</p><p>She rolled her eyes.</p><p>The radio crackled to life. "Stone, Dragon, and Knife are en route to the press room," informed Harry. "All units stay alert."</p><p>Everyone voiced their confirmations.</p><p>It was always slightly more challenging for the offensive specialists in Rainbow's ranks to sit tight during a defensive operation. They were used to spearheading fast strikes and high speed ops. </p><p>During a defensive situation, however, it was quite useful to have elements of the offensive team available in case a quick strike was needed. They could detach, execute a deterrent response, and reattach to the team swiftly.</p><p>As Harry's warning sank in, the mood in the underground parking garage changed. All joking and any hint of lightheartedness disappeared.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. “ONE TOO MANY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow takes command.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:02</i>
  </p>
</div>Harry watched the CCTV footage intently from his surveillance van across the street from the convention center. The press conference had officially begun, and millions around the world were watching the historic moment as the leaders of the United States, Russia, and China sat down to discuss a peaceful future.<p>"Guardian," Harry called, "have they closed the doors to the conference?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," answered Kate Harvell.</p><p>"Let's get a headcount."</p><p>"Already on it," came Echo. </p><p>The Joint Summit was underway, and all present members including security staff and press personnel were pre-registered in the system for security reasons.</p><p>"Facial scans done," announced Valkyrie. "Nobody of interest detected."</p><p>"Roger." Harry scratched at his beard. "Ural, Jade - positions?"</p><p>"With FSB and MSS backstage," replied Ying in a hushed voice.</p><p>"Harry?" asked Valkyrie, static etching her voice over the radio. "Please confirm: 212 people were cleared for the Summit attendance?"</p><p>"Correct. Confirming 212 target headcount, including Knife, Stone, and Dragon."</p><p>There were, of course, thousands currently present at the Washington Convention Center for various functions, but only a specific list were allowed entry into the press conference during the live Summit.</p><p>"We're going to run the scans again," interjected Mira over the feed, "but be advised: we're counting 213 in the Summit Hall. How copy?"</p><p>Harry frowned. "Received." He peered at the surveillance screens, eyeing the mass of reporters and politicians in the rows of seats encircling the Summit Leaders.</p><p>Though Guardian was conducting a second headcount from the Situation Room back in Hereford, there was virtually zero chance of the software being mistaken.</p><p>Somebody who should not have had access to the summit was nevertheless present, and in close proximity to the three most powerful men on the planet.</p><p>Harry had no choice but to expect the worse.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE</p><p>The news travelled fast. Dodd deployed his Secret Service reserves to key points in the parking garage, locking down entryways and elevators accesses.</p><p>Warden straightened his tie around his collar by habit as he approached Dodd. He was flanked by IQ, Blitz, Ela, Zofia, Bandit, Jäger, Blackbeard and Alibi. "Can we have a word, Dodd?"</p><p>The Secret Service Chief looked at them all for a moment. "Yeah, Collinn. Quickly."</p><p>Warden stepped close and lowered his voice amidst the hustle and bustle of security agents around them. "We'd like to take point on this."</p><p>Dodd stared at him for a long moment. "What?"</p><p>"My team would like to take point."</p><p>The security chief snorted. "I just stood in front of a few dozen men and told them to steer clear of you and respect your maneuvers. Now you're asking that I just give control to you?"</p><p>"Not control," McKinley corrected. "Just let us take point."</p><p>Agent Dodd glanced at the armed Rainbow operators surrounding Warden incredulously. "You all gotta be shitting me. No. I can't just let you 'take point' - I have a duty and oath to uphold for the President of the United States."</p><p>Warden nodded. "Nobody's disputing that." He undid a pouch on his chest rig, the scrape of Velcro sounding loudly through the garage, and produced a folded document. "For you."</p><p>Dodd eyed the man warily before taking the document. He unfurled it, and his eyes widened as he scanned it. "The fuck is this?"</p><p>"A Presidential Executive Order granting us command of this operation." Warden nodded at the paper. "Signed by President Jackson."</p><p>"I...." Dodd trailed off, his narrowed eyes and furrowed brow mirroring his confusion. He pointed at the signature beneath President Jackson's. "Director Six," he read aloud. He glared at Warden. "Director who?"</p><p>McKinley smiled politely. "He's important, my friend. Far more than you or me."</p><p>"Why not tell me earlier?!"</p><p>"Was hoping I wouldn't have to do. Just thought I'd ask, first. We go way back, Dodd. I didn't want to lead with that."</p><p>"Fantastic." Dodd drummed his fingers on his SMG, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. "UN, huh? Bullshit, McKinley. Who are you guys, really?"</p><p>"We're going to get set up here, and prepare a perimeter defense just in case. Keep your men reined in for now. Oh, and Dodd - call the White House Chief of Staff, if that would put your mind at ease. He'll corroborate."</p><p>"What about the Russians? Chinese?"</p><p>"They are free to act as they see fit, but as for Knife, we'll be housing him right here in the event of an emergency."</p><p>Dodd's face was still a picture of astonishment. "This... isn't how things work. This is - there are procedures, and—"</p><p>"You'll find that most red tape does not apply to my boss." Warden shrugged and turned on his heel. "We're moving to prep. Have your men watch the rear entryway and the far elevators. We'll handle the perimeter."</p><p>The glow of headlights washed over the huddle, and an unmarked van rolled to a stop. Miles "Castle" Campbell hopped out of the driver's seat and pulled open the rear double doors.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. “BACKSTAGE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jade and Ural elements watch the Summit from backstage.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Someone order wall reinforcements from Home Depot?" Castle quipped, and he laughed obnoxiously.</p><p>Ela Bosak reached the van first. "Wow." She hoisted a double-layered pack of portable wall reinforcements over her shoulders with a grunt. "You're easily amused."</p><p>"I crack myself up. You know what? You need to learn to laugh." Castle grinned. "Then you might not be so grumpy all the damn time."</p><p>"Maybe I just have standards, Campbell."</p><p>Some of the others chuckled as they gathered around the van.</p><p>Bandit hissed a warning. "You have to have finesse when cracking jokes, my friend. Doesn't work when you piss off the audience."</p><p>"You're trying to tell a black man from Cali how to be funny?" Castle snorted good-naturedly. "Fuck outta here."</p><p>"He's right," snickered Jäger. "You're overrated, Dom."</p><p>Bandit faced the man indignantly. "I'm telling Six, Streicher. I'm telling him you're being mean."</p><p>The Rainbow operators huddled around the van, pulled their wall reinforcements from the cargo hold and walked them to key edges of the parking garage's concrete walls.</p><p>Zofia let her pack of reinforcements slide off her shoulder at the corner near a stairwell. It fell with a heavy thud to the concrete. Ela did the same a few paces away.</p><p>Nobody deployed their reinforcements yet, but rather staged them at the bases of key walls in case they were to be used. They were expensive to produce, and Director Six would not like spending budget on walls unnecessarily destroyed by reinforcements.</p><p>Warden surveyed the area as he radioed in. "Six Actual, we're prepping for contact and defense at the fallback point."</p><p>"Heard. Stand by."</p><p>"Ural Two reporting: all clear so far," chimed Kapkan over the radio.</p><p>"Roger," came Harry. "Stay frosty."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>The Summit Room was crowded - with 213 people, precisely - and President Li was proclaiming into his microphone China's intention to generously divert some of its industrial power to help other nearby nations.</p><p>He was speaking in Mandarin, but translators were restating his words in hundreds of other languages.</p><p>The stage was slick and modern. The three heads of state sat at a crescent table with a black glass desktop at the head of the large atrium.</p><p>The large wall behind them offered screens with close-up views and translated subtitles for those in attendance. "JOINT SUMMIT 2019" banners hung from above. A wide, glossy bronze strip curved across the center of the wall, running the entire stage's length behind the gathered presidents.</p><p>This in fact was a one-sided mirror, much like Mira's deployable black mirror - it allowed the security personnel backstage to secretly look out at the crowd with an unhindered field of view.</p><p>Behind the wall, Lesion and Ying watched the historic event unfold with guarded gazes.</p><p>"— and we pledge to repair our relationship with Hong Kong," President Li stated with a smile, "an action that is long overdue."</p><p>Ying scoffed quietly. "I'll believe that when I see it," she whispered. </p><p>Lesion chuckled. "Indeed."</p><p>Tachanka stood with Kapkan on the opposing side of the backstage area.</p><p>Tachanka swept his gaze across the summit conference and sighed. "Could be anyone," he murmured.</p><p>"Or nothing," mused Kapkan. "System might have it wrong."</p><p>"Guardian's facial scan software is never wrong."</p><p><i>"Da,</i> but what if the registration is wrong? What if there's supposed to be 213 people, and not 212?" Kapkan raised his eyebrows. "Some dickhead probably forgot to add a name to the database. It's probably fine."</p><p>Tachanka shrugged. "That's what they all say before shit hits the fan."</p><p>"True."</p><p>On the other side of the wall, one of the panel hosts leaned forward in his chair. "President Vikhrov, you have been vocal in your intentions to - and I'm using your words from last winter, sir - quote, 'meet the West halfway.' Can you now be more specific about the meaning behind this statement?"</p><p>The Russian President nodded. "I can, but some may not like it." The panel hosts chuckled nervously, but others joined them in full laughter when Vikhrov smiled mischievously, signaling he was joking. "I think that for too long, the West - namely, the United States - and us have been at odds. I think all of us here can agree that the Cold War never really ended, yes?"</p><p>This statement drew glimmers of knowing in the lights of President Jackson and President Li, but both men were careful to maintain neutral expressions.</p><p>"It will not be easy." President Vikhrov shifted in his seat, and he looked out at the audience with purpose in his gaze. "But if we can stop opposing each other at every bump in the road, we can start to ask ourselves what we can all accomplish together. And I'm not alone in this; there are others in the Russian government ready for this kind of change."</p><p>Tachanka and Kapkan glanced at each other with wide eyes at the president's words.</p><p>"You believe him, Alex?" murmured Maxim.</p><p>Tachanka didn't answer for a long moment. "I don't know," he replied quietly. "I don't think he's lying. Does that count?"</p><p>"Movement," Ying announced suddenly. "Back row, west side. Suspicious person."</p><p>They saw a man with a camera in his hands, and he was steadily making his way down the aisle stairs. His eyes were fixed on President Vikhrov, and their haunting stare was eerily empty.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. “MY NAME IS VIKTOR”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The threat reveals itself.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:11</i>
  </p>
</div>This was it.<p>Viktor Sidorov could feel all eyes on him as he trudged down the steps with a solemn cadence to his pace. Years of effort had led November Sun to the time at hand, and this was where Viktor's path ended.</p><p>It felt surreal to see President Vikhrov himself staring at him from behind the crescent desk onstage. The American and Chinese presidents would just be collateral.</p><p>President Vikhrov was who he really wanted.</p><p>He had hoped a casual pace down the steps would project that he was simply relocating for some insignificant reason, but Viktor stopped when he saw security beginning to shift position to meet him. You!" he shouted, raising his hand and pointing ahead to the stage. "Daniil Vikhrov - my name is Viktor Sidorov of North Ossetia. I am here on behalf of November Sun.</p><p>Diplomats, media personnel, and aides on his right and left were looking up at the man with wide eyes and curious glances.</p><p>Two men in suits walked quickly from the stage front, ascending the stairs towards Viktor.</p><p>Viktor chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw two more men, who he assumed were Presidential Secret Service, descending the stairs swiftly.</p><p>"Sir," one of them called, "come with us, immediately."</p><p>"This is a bomb!" Viktor shouted. In a fluid motion he reached into the compartment of his camera and lifted out the concealed IED with one hand, dropped the camera, and lifted a trigger detonator from his pocket with the other hand. "Nobody fucking move! One more step and you're all finished!"</p><p>His threat had the opposite effect. A woman screamed, a man hollered, and soon people were scrambling for the exits. More security personnel poured onto the main floor.</p><p>When Viktor saw the bodyguards move to extract President Vikhrov and the others, his heart dropped. His C4 contraption, though deadly, would not reach from where he stood; and so the man embraced his last remaining option.</p><p>He sprinted for the stage.</p><p>Tachanka and Kapkan bolted out of the west backstage exit. Ying and Lesion mirrored their movements from the eastern exit.</p><p>The radio chatter was deafening. Multiple elements of the security team were wondering what the fuck was happening. Kapkan was shouldering past security staff racing in the opposite direction to escort the Presidents to safety.</p><p>The bomber raced downstairs at frightening speed, clearly knowing he might not make it close enough to his target.</p><p>"Stop!" Tachanka roared, his voice bouncing like thunder off the walls.</p><p>"Could be a dead man's switch," Mira's voice warned in their earpieces. "Don't let him get close."</p><p>The man yelled in defiance and suddenly changed direction. He sprinted for Ying and Lesion on his left, and raised the detonator high like a sword on a cavalry charge.</p><p>Careful bursts of gunfire erupted from both sides of the stage. The suicide bomber's head whipped backward, his knees buckled mid-run, and his body hit the floor hard.</p><p>"Back up!" called Kapkan. "We need to—"</p><p>The IED in the dead man's hand erupted. Shrapnel tore through the air, ripping empty seats and splintering the front stage.</p><p>The shock from the blast took Ying and Lesion off their feet, and the two flailed through the air before hitting the far wall.</p><p>"We have detonation," Tachanka breathed. He and Kapkan raced for their companions. "No civilian casualties. VIPs were clear. Ying and Lesion are down."</p><p>"Confirm last," Harry called. "Ying and Lesion are down?"</p><p>Lesion sat up groggily. "We're good," he informed before stepping over Ying and extending a hand to help her up. "Tango neutralized. Substantial damage to the auditorium."</p><p>"Roger," replied Harry, expertly masking his worry. "Rejoin the VIPs. They're on their way to the fallback point."</p><p>"Just a heads-up," came Valkyrie, "Guardian is seeing no disturbances on the street level. No other instances sighted... yet."</p><p>"This is Warden. We're buckled up and ready to go down here."</p><p>Tachanka, Kapkan, Ying, and Lesion turned and rushed backstage to rejoin their FSB and MSS counterparts for the short journey down to the parking garage.</p><p>Gunfire sounded in the distance, reverberating off the hallways.</p><p>"Shots fired!" came Jianyu, the MSS security chief. "Two gunmen, automatic weapons. They've cut us off in the underground corridor!"</p><p>Tachanka slowed to a stop. "Keep going," he instructed his teammates. "I'll go above. Ping the tangos' locations for me."</p><p>"Roger that," Ying answered. She and the others sped onward. They could hear distant shouts and cries of civilians on the ground level above, and only hoped there weren't more hostiles elsewhere.</p><p>They bounded through the corridors. The echoes of gunfire was growing louder, and at last they reached a T-intersection in the hallways. The security agents were hugging corners for cover while others covered the VIPs protectively.</p><p>Seeing the American, Russian, and Chinese Heads of State ducking gunfire sent a surge of adrenaline through Ying.</p><p>"Two hostiles!" shouted Kosonov, the FSB security chief.</p><p>Ying slid to a halt and knelt at the corner. She unhitched a drone from her pack and set it down. "Alex," she called on the radio, "droning the hostiles' position."</p><p>"Copy. I'm above you. Ping them."</p><p>Ying guided the drone down the hallway, past cracking bullets and towards the gunmen. "They're on both sides of the hallway. Pinging now."</p><p>Shots suddenly tore through the ceiling above the hostiles. Small clouds of dust and drywall misted about as one terrorist fell. His comrade whirled about in shock, but Tachanka was already sending a second series of bursts from above through the ceiling.</p><p>"Tangos down," announced Ying.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. “AN EYE FOR AN EYE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ural and Jade attempt to escort the VIPs to the fallback point.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:13</i>
  </p>
</div>UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE<br/>FALLBACK POINT<p>The joint-security force underground was already prepped for hostile contact, and so they waited.</p><p>It was excruciating.</p><p>Warden angled his MPX at the underground corridor access. "Ural, Jade - we're covering the fallback point entrance. Warn us when you're near."</p><p>"En route. Twenty seconds," came Kapkan.</p><p>"Are the packages secure?" asked Blitz.</p><p>"Affirmative. Knife, Dragon, and Stone are with us. Three tangos down. Watch your asses."</p><p>A muffled boom sounded suddenly, causing Warden and the others to look around. It was faint, but they all knew the sound of an explosion when they heard it.</p><p>"Fuck was that?" Dodd asked.</p><p>Communications Chief Kate Harvell was suddenly in their ears. "Alert. Explosion reported at Mount Vernon Metro Station, north. Shots fired. Police officers on-scene."</p><p>"Jesus," murmured Blackbeard.</p><p>"We're coming through!" announced Lesion. "Blue-on-blue. Don't shoot!"</p><p>Seconds later the underground corridor door burst open. Security agents fanned out at the ready as others escorted the three national leaders through the doors.</p><p>"Cars are ready," Warden called, signaling them forward. "Six Actual, we have the packages. Moving to extract."</p><p>"Roger," came Harry. "Maintain your current—"</p><p>A deafening explosion rocked the parking garage. Warden stumbled into Alibi, who grasped him by the vest to steady him on his feet. A second explosion erupted. Car alarms on vehicles above ground sounded off, triggered by the blasts.</p><p>Secret Service agents near the garage exit ramps were engulfed in thick clouds of debris and smoke. Rubble buried the parking garage checkpoint, and a massive chunk of concrete from the level above fell with a thunderous cry. Parked vehicles from one level higher fell through the hole, rolling this way and that on the ruins beneath.</p><p>Then the screams came. Agents were pinned underneath debris, wedged between concrete. </p><p>Jäger cursed when he saw a spear of rebar impaling one officer through the hip. He dashed for the man without a word, drawing one of Doc's supplies STIM shots from his vest. The Bosaks followed.</p><p>Warden whistled shrilly and waved his hand about in the air. No verbiage was needed.</p><p>The remaining operators began digging in defensive positions. Castle and Blackbeard set about cranking the levers of deployable wall reinforcements. Moving metal rang out as the contraptions clamped securely in place.</p><p>Alibi jogged to one of the remaining armored cars. She unfastened a Prisma orb, clicked it to life in her palm, and dropped it to the concrete as she continued on. The holographic image shimmered to life.</p><p>Security Chief Dodd stared in awe.</p><p>"Get those corners reinforced!" called Warden. "We need a spot to anchor."</p><p>"Already ahead of you, Chief," answered Blitz. He and IQ moved to the reinforcements waiting in place at the walls.</p><p>Warden took a deep breath. "Six Actual, what the fuck is going on? We're blocked in by two explosions. Impassable debris. Taking defensive positions."</p><p>"Don't know yet. We're on it. Over."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Across the street south of the Washington Convention Center, two men in ski masks stood amidst clearing plumes of smoke on the roof of the Carnegie Library, overlooking K Street. Two discarded FGM-148 Javelin launchers sat on the concrete at their feet, steam still rising from their barrels.</p><p>One of the men stepped forward and lifted an AK-74 leaning on an air condition unit.  He handed it to his comrade before picking up a worn RPD light machine gun.</p><p>It was an old weapon, but it would do.</p><p> The man with the AK took out his radio. "This is Sergei. Good hit on the launches; the columns collapsed. We think they're holding the VIPs underground. Over."</p><p>His comrade cocked back the bolt on his LMG's receiver. "How long do you think we have? Few minutes?"</p><p>The other shrugged. "We're dead men either way, Adrian. Let's make it count."</p><p>They both leaned over the edge of the library roof high above the street and pulled the triggers on their weapons. Automatic gunfire echoed wickedly through the streets below. Dust and debris kicked up with the impact of their shots.</p><p>A woman pushing a stroller in the crosswalk fell. A street vendor cowered behind his hot dog stand, only to be killed by a burst of 7.62 rounds that raked across the cart.</p><p>Police sirens wailed through the surrounding neighborhood, mixing with the horrified screams of hundreds of innocent bystanders.</p><p>As his light machine gun rattled in his hands, Adrian Fetisov began crying beneath his mask. It was most unexpected; but he felt the weight of years of torment being lifted from his shoulders, one bullet at a time.</p><p>His weapon roared, and Adrian opened his mouth to roar with it. His scream was drowned out by their gunfire, but he let it loose like a caged lion, freed at last.</p><p>The people below were innocent. But wasn't he an innocent as well, when he was a child at Beslan School Number One and suddenly at the mercy of Chechen extremists? Were his two sisters, and uncle - a teacher - not innocent when their own countrymen hit the school with incendiary rockets?</p><p>He knew he would be struck dead soon, and so the man continued to sweep a stream of gunfire down at the scattering masses below.</p><p>The only way to experience the sorrow he and his comrades had faced was to experience it for oneself; an eye for an eye.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. “SMOKE AND HELLFIRE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka watches events unfold on TV from her hotel room.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA</p><p>Finka sat on the edge of her hotel bed and stared in shock at the images she was seeing on TV.</p><p>A sudden terrorist attack in Washington, D.C. Pillars of smoke billowed into the sky from multiple locations at and around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. There was automatic gunfire in the streets, a reported bombing at the Joint Summit Conference, part of the convention center parking garage had collapsed in an explosion.</p><p>"—from what I understand," the reporter was saying, "the collapse was a result of some sort of, uh - missile, or rocket attack, and uh, you didn't hear me wrong folks. There is a—"</p><p>Finka's mouth dropped open. She switched to CNN.</p><p>"—ember Sun, the same organization behind the attacks in Brussels just days ago. Authorities have not confirmed whether—"</p><p>She switched to TASS.</p><p>The man on-screen was hiding behind a van. Gunshots echoed around him. "W-we are in the middle of W-Washington, D.C.," he sputtered in Russian, yelling over the gunfire. "They just started, uh, started shooting. There's been explosions. N-no word yet on President Vikhrov's well-being, or that of—"</p><p>The feed suddenly went dead.</p><p>Finka's heart raced. She shot to her feet and fumbled for her phone in her pocket. She was about to call Hereford when she received an incoming call, instead, and a familiar face showed up on her screen's Caller ID.</p><p>"Flament!" she answered, her voice echoing her disbelief. "Are we there?"</p><p>"In D.C., you mean?" answered Lion. "Yes."</p><p>"Jesus Christ," Finka blurted. "Who is it? Is it November Sun again? What teams did we send? Who—"</p><p>"Lera, listen to me."</p><p>"—Guardian at base? Is Harry—"</p><p>"Finka!" Lion tried. "It's going to be fine. Harry's there. We're working with FSB and MSS. We have two teams on-site."</p><p>The woman's jaw dropped momentarily. "Fine?" she hissed. "It's going to be fine? I'm watching the news and all I see is smoke and hellfire. What the fuck went wrong?"</p><p>"Too early to tell."</p><p>Finka walked speedily to her suitcase, unzipped it, and stuffed the previous night's clothes inside. She stopped suddenly. "Why are you calling me?"</p><p>Lion sighed on the other end. "Do I hear you packing your things?"</p><p>"Of course." Finka frowned. "Why are you calling me, Olivier?"</p><p>"Stop packing, Lera."</p><p>"What?" The woman scoffed at the man's words and raced to the bathroom. She scooped up her toothbrush and other items into a travel bag. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"Lera, Harry had me call you."</p><p>She stopped mid-motion, her tube of toothpaste clutched in one hand. "He did? Don't worry. I'm flying back. I'm leaving immediately."</p><p>"No, Lera." Lion paused. "He told me to call you if shit hit the fan in D.C."</p><p>"I don't understand. What about?"</p><p>"He said to call you and tell you to go downstairs to the front desk of the hotel. The concierge will have a package for you."</p><p>Finka blinked. She struggled to find a hidden meaning in her colleague's words, and she found her own gaze in the bathroom mirror. "A... package? The front desk?"</p><p><i>"Oui.</i> I don't know what it's all about, I don't know what Harry's deal is." Lion paused. "I'm just doing what he instructed me to do."</p><p>"And that's... that's to call me if things go bad in D.C., and tell me I have a package at the front desk?"</p><p>"I'm just the messenger."</p><p>"The fuck, Flament? That doesn't—"</p><p>The phone line clicked dead, leaving Finka in such a confused and frustrated state that she let loose a colorful torrent of curses in Russian. She pulled on her jacket and jeans, and was still cursing under her breath when she let herself out of her hotel room.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>The lobby of the Crowne Plaza was stunningly beautiful. Marble tile reflected lights of extravagant chandeliers hanging overhead. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows gave way to the surrounding cityscape. A fountain bubbled pleasantly near the waiting area.</p><p>Finka didn't care how beautiful it was. She speed-walked to the concierge desk, and the young man at the computer looked up at her. He smiled pleasantly, but his gaze found the scar between the woman's eyes.</p><p>She was used to it. "I was told I have a package waiting for me." Lera placed her hotel room key on the desk. "Tasha Voronova. Room 717." Rainbow operators always used fake names when traveling.</p><p>"Ah, yes." The man knelt to a cabinet under the desk, scooped something up, and returned with a large envelope. He handed it to her.</p><p>"Thank you." Finka turned on her heel without a further word, and she eyed the envelope.</p><p>Sure enough, the sender was from a Hereford address - which Finka knew to be just as fake as the name she had checked into the hotel under - and she was just about to open it when a woman's voice interrupted her tunnel-visioned thoughts.</p><p>"Lera? Is that you?"</p><p>Finka looked up, and when she saw the beautiful raven-haired woman near the fountain, she broke into a wide smile. "Natalya?!"</p><p>"Yes!" the other woman proclaimed, nearly squealing with delight. She hurried across the lobby with open arms and embraced Finka heartily. "My God, how long has it been?!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. “LET GO”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka reconnects with an old friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Not since school," Finka managed, taken off-guard by the sudden encounter.</p><p>"NSU seems like such a long time ago, and—" Natalya paused, and her eyes widened at the sight of Finka's scar. "Oh, Jesus, Lera! What happened?"</p><p>Lera rolled her eyes. "Accident."</p><p>"Accident?!" the other woman echoed. "What, an accidental knife fight or something?"</p><p>"Would you believe me if that was the case?"</p><p>Natalya squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her voice, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for being rude. I didn't even notice at first. I swear."</p><p>"It's fine. I promise." Lera noticed the concierge staring at her from the front desk. She turned back to Natalya. "Are you staying here at the hotel?"</p><p>"I am. Business. Here for the night. Maybe two. You?"</p><p>"Business. Well... vacation, actually."</p><p>"Fantastic!" Natalya exclaimed gleefully. "How long?"</p><p>Finka wasn't sure of the answer, and the sudden crisis in Washington, D.C. surged back into her thoughts. "Few more days," she replied vaguely.</p><p>"We have to get together," Natalya declared. "Even if just for coffee. It's been so long."</p><p>Normally, Finka disliked social life and its many annoying nuances, but Natalya's enthusiasm was infectious as always, and she found herself nodding her agreement. "Tonight perhaps?"</p><p>"Great. Meet you down here at 9:00 or so? I have a meeting with a client at 7:00."</p><p>"Sure. Clients, Natalya?" Finka asked, grinning. "Look at you, all grown up now. What do you do?"</p><p>"Corporate law, actually."</p><p>"What? No kidding?"</p><p>"Yep." Natalya assumed a purposely-over dramatic pose. "Rosneft Oil."</p><p>Finka whistled, impressed. "Wow. Good for you. That is impressive as hell."</p><p>Natalya bowed ceremoniously, curtsy and all, coaxing a hearty laugh from Finka. "Spasibo, spasibo," she said. "Anyhow, I must go. It's so great to run into you, Lera. Truly." The woman tapped at her phone. "Let's exchange numbers. I'll text you later to meet here. We can catch up."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Finka took the elevator back up to the seventh floor. She smiled to herself.</p><p>Back at Novosibirsk State University, Natalya had always been easygoing, carefree. Now, nearly a decade later, she was still youthful as always, her enthusiasm still just as contagious as it had been back then - despite being a leading attorney for one of the most powerful companies in Russia.</p><p>So blissful was Natalya's energy that Finka had forgotten about the envelope in her hand.</p><p>The elevator dinged to a stop, and the woman stepped off into the seventh floor hallway. She trudged towards her room, her attention focused on the pckage in her hand as she peeled away the seal.</p><p>Inside was a folded letter, with what appeared to be a note, handwritten in ink.</p><p>Finka made her way to her room. She closed the door behind her, went to the mini bar, and poured a small glass of vodka before retiring to the couch next to a floor lamp.</p><p>She turned on the light, unfurled the letter, and took a breath before reading.</p><p>
  <i>Lera,</i>
</p><p>
  <i>If you are reading this letter, it means things have gone south in D.C. - as you are surely already aware, since I doubt you've done much to distract yourself from worldly headlines.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>I've asked you to unplug, to take a break from things. Clear your mind, find your voice. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>I know this is not an easy thing to ask of you. You are one of the most talented, driven individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the privilege of working with. Even now, as you read these words, I know half of your mind is on the headlines you must have seen today, while the other half is thinking about your research efforts back here at base.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>I know you are questioning yourself, second-guessing your own efforts, wondering if perhaps you, or Doc, missed something during your last study. I know you cannot rest. I know the future is an ugly thing that bares its teeth every time you look at it.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>And now, Lera, I ask you to let go.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Let go of your companions. Let go of me. Know that we will be okay without you as we face whatever it is we might currently be facing in D.C. Know that even though we are stronger with you, we are all hoping for you to find inner peace, above all else.</i>
</p><p>Finka was biting her lip. She had not cried in a very long time, and so the urge to do so felt foreign and uncomfortable as she continued.</p><p>
  <i>Our safety does not depend on you. This is not your burden. You have such a big heart that sometimes you take on more burden than you can bear. Your teammates are the best in the entire world. Let them do their work, so you may focus instead on working on yourself. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>I want you to unplug, walk the streets, breathe. Look up at the clouds, the sky, the stars, and simply admire that which is always there, yet hard for us to take time to see.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Rather than be arrested by fear or anxiety, let go - even if just for a few days - and realize that you've worked hard. Every breath you take, every breeze through your hair, every smile you see, every word you utter; you've earned it. Your research sent your neuropathy into remission.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Now relax, and know we're all in this together. That's an order.   ~ Harry</i>
</p><p>Finka felt a sensation wash over her that she did not recognize. She curled up on the loveseat, letter still in-hand, and fought the tears welling up in her eyes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. “COVER YOUR EARS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tachanka rushes to aid innocent civilians.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:35</i>
  </p>
</div>Tachanka raced through one of the ground-level corridors. Civilians were still scattering, and he shouted at them to take cover and hide as he passed.<p>"Alex!" Kapkan called over the radio's secure channel. "Your position?"</p><p>"Moving south," the man answered. "Still at ground level. I heard shots near the food court."</p><p>Kapkan cursed. "Be careful."</p><p>"I'm careful, Max. Most of the time."</p><p>"All units, this is Guardian," came Valkyrie. "Be advised, we have multiple attacks across the neighborhood. Explosive armament, automatic weapons. This is definitely a coordinated November Sun strike. Police have moved to address the situation at the metro station, but they're taking heavy fire. SWAT has fanned our to assist. Multiple vehicles have overrun police roadblocks. Three gunmen assaulted the police station with ARs and one RPG. All tangos were neutralized. Facial scans ineffective due to masks."</p><p>Tachanka kept jogging, one man parting a small sea of fleeing men and women, and he listened to his colleagues compare notes over the air.</p><p>"Shots fired at the south food court, ground level," he said breathlessly into his mic. "Moving to engage. Contact imminent."</p><p>Two women in suits rushed around the corner. One lost her balance and careened into a cafeteria table. Alex stopped momentarily to lift her up to her feet. "Go!" he hissed.</p><p>A volley of sporadic gunfire echoed off the walls.</p><p>More shouts boomed down the hallway. More civilians fled, and Alex steeled himself against the impulse to shoot anything that moved.</p><p>A man and his two teenage sons fled frantically for safety. The boys made it, but a bullet caught the man in the back as he rounded the corner. He pitched forward to the floor, and his boys screamed in horror.</p><p>Alex slid to a stop at the mouth of the entryway that opened up to the food court. He knelt, grabbed the man's shoulders, and pulled him across the floor to safety around the corner.</p><p>One of the boys was cursing, babbling. The other was wide-eyed, speechless; and Tachanka grasped that boy's arm and guided his hand to the open exit wound on his father's chest.</p><p>"Here," he instructed. "Pressure here. Both hands. If I'm not back in one minute, run. Understand?"</p><p>The teenager nodded absently, and kept his hand pressed to his father's wound. His brother removed his jacket and used it to provide a cushion between his father's head and the tile.</p><p>"We need medics ASAP," Tachanka informed. "Civilians wounded. Multiple shooters. Engaging to hold off hostiles."</p><p>He peered carefully out from behind the corner.</p><p>Four men in masks were moving through the dozens of tables in the food court cafeteria, sweeping their weapons about as they advanced. Alex saw one of them pause over the body of a woman who had already been shot.</p><p>She held up her hands in protest as the terrorist leveled his rifle at her face.</p><p>Tachanka leaned out, braced his aim against the wall, and loosed a double-tap of semi-automatic fire.</p><p>The bullets caught the masked man in the face and neck. He collapsed in a heap to the floor. The woman screamed. The remaining tangos snapped their attention to Alex, raised their weapons, and unleashed hell.</p><p>Alex pulled back as bullets bit into the wall near his head. He dropped to a knee, shouldered his SMG, and let his newly-reworked RP-46 light machine gun slide down his shoulder on its sling. He readied it at his hip and chambered the first round, a loud metallic clack of the receiver signaling it was ready to fire.</p><p>He hastily unhitched a drone from his pack and rolled it out onto the tile. "Guardian," he called, "get someone on this drone now!"</p><p>The drone was suddenly alight, and it whirred to life. "I've got you," announced Echo. "What do you need?"</p><p>"Tangos coming in hot," Tachanka replied. "Around the corner to my right. Check my background for me before I lay into them. Over."</p><p>"Roger." Without a further word, Echo steered the drone forward and out of view.</p><p>Alex heard more shots - clearly the gunmen had spotted the drone and were firing at it - and he heard the familiar sounds of the device jumping and spinning in maneuvers to avoid being hit by hostile gunfire.</p><p>"They're right on top of you," Echo informed. His tone was deceptively calm. "Ten paces at most. Background is clear, except for the wounded woman on the ground. I repeat: background is clear of friendlies. Keep your aim steady, off the floor. Pinging hostiles."</p><p>Tachanka swiveled his HUD lens over one eye, allowing him to see targets pinged by Echo.</p><p>"There's seven of them?" Alex breathed. "I only saw three."</p><p>"Take them down," urged Echo.</p><p>Tachanka ventured one more glance over his shoulder at the teenage boys and their father. He flashed them a reassuring nod. "Have your father keep pressure on the wound. Cover your ears!"</p><p>The boys obeyed.</p><p>Alex inhaled sharply, got to his feet, leveled his weapon at the ready, and rounded the corner.</p><p>The report of his Degtyaryov light machine gun was so astonishingly loud that the two hostiles on point jumped in fright as they were cut down.</p><p>The muzzle flash flickered angrily as the man advanced. Shell casings littered the tile at his feet as he swept the barrel from the second group of hostiles to the next.</p><p>The condiments station two of the tangos hid behind was thrashed in a cloud of dust and splinters, torn apart by the devilish barrage that Tachanka unleashed. Their lifeless bodies were all that remained.</p><p>Their comrades began to fall back, but they could not outrun Alex's aim. Tracers arced across the cafeteria. Food trays shattered. Soda fountains exploded. Fast food counters distenegrated. Bodies of the remaining terrorists slumped to the ground.</p><p>"You're clear!" came Echo's voice in Tachanka's earpiece. "Seven tangos down. Cease fire."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. “THUNDER”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The attack in D.C. escalates.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:41</i>
  </p>
</div>Harry was still in the surveillance van with members of President Jackson's secret service surveillance team, behind the Subway restaurant at the corner of 7th &amp; M. He had a hand to one headphone of his headset, trying to better hear the other line, and his other hand flew about the keyboard of his open laptop.<p>"Warden. Sitrep with the VIPs?" he asked.</p><p>"So far so good. Still boxed in here. Waiting for an enemy attack. Over."</p><p>"Roger. Hang tight. I'm coordinating with local PD to direct medical personnel to your locations."</p><p>"The food court, too," came Tachanka. "We have wounded. Warden, Hostiles neutralized in food court. I'm moving to link back up with you all downstairs."</p><p>"Roger."</p><p>"Tachanka," called Mira from Guardian Station, "keep heading west through the next atrium. Ignore the first stairwell - the second will give you access to basement corridors that connect to the fallback point. Just watch your ass. Over."</p><p>Shots sounded from a distance. Harry peered our his window and saw a news helicopter veering away from gunfire to the south.</p><p>"Looks like more gunmen at or around the arena," Harry remarked.</p><p>"Can confirm," answered Valkyrie. "Police chatter indicates shooters at Capital One Arena, and across the street at the Smithsonian. Local SWAT is addressing the threats."</p><p>Harry shook his head. "We need to get our VIPs out immediately."</p><p>"Yessir," came Warden. "Working on it. Can you have pickup ready around here on the south end?"</p><p>Director Six nodded. "Just tell me where."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Back in the parking garage, Warden looked to the wreckage from the recent missile impacts.</p><p>Alibi jogged up to him. "We lost some," she said quietly. "Three Secret Service KIA. One FSB. Five wounded."</p><p>"Okay." Warden turned and was about to call to the others when another explosion shook the ground beneath their feet. It had come from the walls next to the enclosed stairwell and elevators.</p><p>"We've got company!" shouted Blackbeard, who was backing away from the stairwell, weapon raised. "They tried blowing through the reinforcements."</p><p>"Amateurs," quipped Jäger. The man had already deployed two ADS turrets on the walls outside the stairwell entryway, which was enclosed in a concrete shaft running upward.</p><p>Warden nudged Alibi. "Keep watch over the VIPs. Have Dodd's men keep eyes on the rubble behind us, just in case."</p><p>If she was annoyed at being asked to hold back with the VIPs, Alibi hid it. "Copy that." She ran to the supply van and lifted a sizable pillar of steel from the cargo - which was, in fact, a compacted deployable shield - and cradled it over her shoulder with one hand. "Agent Dodd?" she called. "On me."</p><p>Dodd and two of his men obeyed. </p><p>Warden took comfort in the metallic sound of the shield being deployed somewhere behind him, near the armored SUV that the three Heads of State were housed in. This was followed by the activation of another Prisma hologram. Alibi was a damned good operator. They were safe in her hands.</p><p>Bandit crept forward, easing towards the stairwell access. He slumped to a sitting position on the concrete and leaned onto his back, aiming his MP7 at the door. "I hear them," he whispered. </p><p>"Listen for the Gu mines," Lesion said, keeping his voice down over the radio. "Two in the stairway."</p><p>On cue, there was a loud pop and hissing noise, followed by a man yelping in agony. Bandit was close enough that he could hear a body hit the floor, followed by angry cursing. "That's one," he breathed. "They're Russian."</p><p>A second mine crackled and hissed, injecting another would-be attacker with a poison needle.</p><p>"That's two," Bandit informed. He suddenly raised a gloved fist in the air from where he lay, signaling that contact was imminent, and shifted his weight to lean to one side.</p><p>A score of weapons was pointed at the closed access door to the stairwell. Everyone waited with bated breath.</p><p>Bandit suddenly cursed. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted away from the door. Seconds later, an explosion ripped the door from the hinges.</p><p>"Frags," remarked Zofia. She set her rifle down against a support column and readied her KS79 launcher. "They won't expect thunder. Kötz?"</p><p>"On it." Blitz advanced on the stairwell. IQ was right behind him, a guiding hand on his back, her handgun aimed over his shoulder. Ying followed.</p><p>Zofia chambered the concussion rounds. "Single concussion," she announced quietly. "On my count: three. Two. One."</p><p>A round burst forth from the launcher tube, and the concussion grenade detonated almost on impact. The noise was thunderous in the enclosed concrete stairwell, and the cries of hostile troops could be heard as they reeled in shock.</p><p>Blitz was in the door almost immediately. He bounded forward and slammed his shield into the first masked face he saw. The enemy collapsed. His companions further up the stairs tried to rally through their dizzied vision, but Blitz was already aiming his shield upward.</p><p>A blinding flash filled the stairwell as he ignited his riot shield's frontal flash charge.</p><p>IQ was still behind him. As Blitz charged the nearest man, she leaned out and fired a quick double-tap with her handgun to the chest of the next hostile in line. Before his body had hit the concrete, the woman had already redirected her aim at a third gunman, and she executed another double-tap.</p><p>"Four down!" Blitz hollered. "Moving!"</p><p>"I've got you," breathed IQ. </p><p>The pair advanced up the stairs. Ying was right behind them, and Zofia jogged in from the parking garage to follow.</p><p>"Heads up," called Blitz. "More coming."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. “TOO CROWDED”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The hostiles make a final charge.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>14:45</i>
  </p>
</div>Blitz took care to keep his breathing steady as he stepped over the incapacitated bodies of the terrorists on the stairs. He peered through his shield, and found comfort in the touch of IQ's palm pressed to his back. The pair practiced together routinely, and he felt safer with her than anyone else in a forward strike maneuver.<p>Shouts in Russian bounded down the tight stairwell shaft from above. The sinister, familiar sound of a frag grenade bouncing on concrete reached their ears.</p><p><i>"Granate!"</i> Blitz warned. He hugged the wall and planted his shield firmly as the enemy hand grenade rolled into view on the steps above.</p><p>IQ crouched behind the man and pressed herself as low as she could. Behind them, Zofia tugged Ying backward to safety behind the corner of the stairs.</p><p>The explosion was ear-splitting in such a tight space. The heat washed over them both, and shrapnel peppered Blitz's shield relentlessly. The impact sent him and IQ reeling backward, and they hit the ground roughly at the base of the flight of steps.</p><p>"Status!" called Warden urgently. Bandit and Jäger began storming the stairwell to provide support.</p><p>Ying and Zofia moved quickly to their colleagues' aid. "Hold position!" Zofia instructed over her shoulder to the newcomers. "Too crowded in here!"</p><p>Blitz was shell-shocked, and he blinked away the dizziness in his eyes as he sat up.</p><p>Zofia was kneeling next to him. "You good?" she was asking. Blitz couldn't hear her words, but he could read her lips, and he nodded.</p><p>His eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Monika?" he called, twisting to crane his neck and look to his teammate on the ground nearby.</p><p>IQ was on her back. She groggily pressed herself up to lean on an elbow. "Fuck," she grunted.</p><p>Gunfire tore through the hallway. Blitz turned to see Ying leaning around the corner at the top of the flight of steps, and she was leaning into her LMG as she fired a long barrage upward.</p><p>"Tango down!" she called. "Two more. They're falling back. Pursuing."</p><p>Zofia wasted no time in following. She hustled up the steps and tapped Ying's shoulder twice to signal her presence.</p><p>"Brace for flash." Ying gripped a Candela grenade and hurled it upwards. She sprinted up the stairs and rounded the corner just as the clustered flash charges went off, plunging the stairway into a blinding light.</p><p>Zofia shielded her eyes from the Candela flashes - she did not have the proper eye protection to counter them, like Ying's glasses - and was quick to follow after the last charge expended.</p><p>The shouts of agony from hostiles above signified the effectiveness of Ying's throw, and the woman braced her LMG against her shoulder and prepared to mow them down.</p><p>Before she could make the final leap to the top of the stairs, there was machine gun fire from somewhere above. The body of one of the masked men rolled down the steps and slammed into the concrete at Ying's feet.</p><p>She could hear shell casings rolling down the steps. "Friendlies!" she shouted. "Alex? Is that you?"</p><p>"Affirmative." The bear of a man trudged down the steps to meet his comrades. "The way is clear," Tachanka announced. "I think we can make it if we hurry."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Director Six was pleased to know that the attack in the parking garage had been thwarted. "Secret Service is sending a convoy of armored SUVs now," he informed.</p><p>"Roger that," Warden replied. "Moving to street level. Confirm pickup to be south side, Mount Vernon Place Northwest?"</p><p>"Confirmed. Stay frosty."</p><p>"Wilco."</p><p>One of the surveillance techs looked over his shoulder. "Director, D.C. SWAT has neutralized the rooftop snipers at the library. They had fucking Javelin launchers. They're what took out the column supports to the garage."</p><p>Harry whistled lowly. "Ten-four. And the situation at the metro?"</p><p>"It got ugly, but it's over." The technician brought up some minimized tabs on one of his screens. "Four officers wounded - one in critical condition - but none KIA. However, eleven civilians were wounded. Two KIA - an old man and a kid."</p><p>Harry bit his lip. "Do we have surveillance footage of the incident?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Upload it to the network, please."</p><p>"You got it."</p><p>"All units," Harry said, habitually adjusting his glasses, "go for extract. External threats have been dealt with, but stay alert."</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>It all had lasted just over 45 minutes. November Sun had launched its second attack, hitting multiple targets around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.</p><p>The residents of Washington, D.C. were shaken, as was hope and enthusiasm for a new, bright future cooperatively pursued by the U.S., China, and Russia. The world watched their news networks in shock as journalists covered firsthand accounts of survivors.</p><p>Ultimately, the attack had failed in killing any one of the Heads of State present at the Joint Summit; but it had succeeded in making a statement.</p><p>November Sun was capable, and their collective anger was very real. Google searches for "Beslan school crisis" surged worldwide, and a tragic, horrific incident at a small school in North Ossetia was finally getting the attention it deserved, fifteen years later.</p><p>That was how Matvei Federov and his comrades saw it, anyway, and as far as they were concerned, justice was finally being served.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. “HEROES AND SELFIES”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow flies home from D.C., and Finka links back up with Natalya.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rainbow's plane departed for Hereford that afternoon. The operators onboard had parted ways with the grateful security agencies of all three Heads of State, loaded up their gadgets and gear on the cargo hold, and took their seats inside.</p><p>Much like during the plane ride back to base after the Belgium incident, Harry, who sat in the rear of the plane, looked out as his team. The night sky outside the cabin windows looked even darker with the dim overhead lights switched on.</p><p>Some of Harry's operators were asleep. Some were quietly mulling over the day's events, staring out the windows.</p><p>The Germans were uncharacteristically quiet. The usually-jovial Blitz leaned his head against the window and stared into the night. IQ had fallen asleep, and her head bobbed slightly on the man's shoulder as the plane hit soft turbulence.</p><p>Bandit and Jäger were whispering amongst one another. Harry knew they were shaken at their two teammates having faced such a close call with the enemy grenade in the stairwell.</p><p>Tachanka straightened in his seat, positioned his phone for a wide selfie, and nudged Kapkan. "Oi. Show that resting bitch face to the camera."</p><p>Kapkan glared. "I will cut you."</p><p>"Whatever. On three: one, two...."</p><p>The phone's camera flashed. Kapkan muttered something grumpily, and Alibi cursed in the row behind them. "The fuck?" she hissed, blinking her eyes. "That was bright, Alex!"</p><p>Tachanka shrugged. "It's a flash."</p><p>"No shit."</p><p>"We have six hours of the flight left," Alex protested, a mischievous light in his eye. "We have to make the best of it, Aria."</p><p>Alibi kicked his seat. "You do whatever your dumbass wants to do. Just don't wake me up."</p><p>Tachanka chuckled. "Fine." He opened his contacts, scrolled to Finka's number, uploaded the photo, and hit SEND after adding a short bit of text.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL<br/>MOSCOW, RUSSIA</p><p>Finka was relaxing in the extravagant lobby of the hotel, sitting on a couch and scrolling her phone. It wasn't exactly the kind of place optimal for the "self-introspection" that Harry had urged her to embrace in his letter, but it was a start.</p><p>She took comfort in the soft gold and amber hues that lit up the lobby, coupled with the bubbling fountain nearby.</p><p>Her phone vibrated, and the caller ID displayed a goofy photo of Tachanka giving a mega-cheesy thumbs-up.</p><p>She opened the message and was greeted by one of the most obnoxious selfies she had ever seen. Tachanka was grinning sideways at the camera with a suave grin - he reminded her of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Instagram selfies - and beside him sat a rather miserable Kapkan, with his signature flat scowl being interrupted by the bright camera flash.</p><p>Finka laughed out loud when she saw Alibi in the row behind them, throwing up a middle finger while squinting her eyes against the blinding flash.</p><p>We saved the world today. We're all okay. Enjoy your vacation.</p><p>Finka couldn't keep from grinning, and she was about to send a smart-ass reply comparing the camera flash to a flashbang when the front door to the hotel opened, and Natalya strode in with a rush of cold night air. She smiled from afar and walked towards her.</p><p>"Hey," Finka called, getting to her feet. "You're early."</p><p>"So are you!" Natalya paused and checked her watch. "Oh, shit. It's only 8:30."</p><p>"It's okay."</p><p>"I'm not a weird stalker or anything. I promise."</p><p>Finka chuckled. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"</p><p>"Topaz is right down the street. Have you been there?"</p><p>Finka's eyes widened. "That place is pretty... classy."</p><p>Natalya brushed strands of dark hair from her eyes. "Shit. You suggested coffee or something - or maybe I did - not full-blown dinner." The woman sighed and held up her hands in exasperation before slumping to the couch. "I'm sorry, Lera. I'm in a... weird place right now."</p><p>"What?" Lera eased back into the neighboring seat. "What's up? It's totally fine. I didn't have any specific idea or anything of where to go."</p><p>The other woman was chewing lightly on her lip. Her dark brown eyes were staring off into space, and she was clearly fraught with worry.</p><p>Lera's expression hardened, and she cleared her throat. "Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice.</p><p>Natalya pursed her lips together and shook her head. "I just got fired."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Yeah. I'm done. Canned. Garbage." She raised her hand, flattened her palm, and pretended it was an airplane crashing to the earth, whistling as she plunged her fist to the couch cushions.</p><p>Lera straightened in her seat, unsure of what to say. "I... Jesus, really?"</p><p><i>"Da,"</i> Natalya replied. She was staring at the floor now. "Really. They even cancelled my hotel reservation."</p><p>"Fuck." Lera frowned and searched for the right words for a few moments before realizing there weren't any. "You want to talk about it?"</p><p>Natalya tossed her head back with a sigh. "No. Maybe. Probably? No - what I need is a fucking drink right now."</p><p>Finka stood. "I won't argue with that. I know a place. Drinks are on me." She extended a hand and helped the woman up from the couch.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. “I’M HERE TO FORGET”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka tries to take Natalya’s mind off of things<br/>with a night out.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Twenty minutes later found Lera and Natalya in a dimly-lit bar just a short walk from the hotel. The bartender, a ruggedly handsome man with tattoo sleeves on both arms, leaned on the counter. "More shots?" he asked, swiping up the empty shot glasses in one smooth motion.</p><p>"Yep." Lera dropped a closed fist to her empty coaster with a thump. "Right here."</p><p>Natalya clapped her hands in a celebratory cadence and made a show of cheering on the bartender as he spun a bottle of vodka expertly in the air before tipping it to pour two shots, which he then slid across the counter. "Two shots for the lovely ladies."</p><p>Lera and Natalya raised their toasts.</p><p>"To old times," Natalya proclaimed, "when things were simple."</p><p>"To the times to come," Lera countered with a wink.</p><p>Natalya rolled her eyes. "To unemployment. Bastards."</p><p>The women shared a laugh before downing another shot, but the bartender's wily smile faded. "Unemployment?" he asked.</p><p>"Yup." Natalya raised a hand and pointed down at herself ceremoniously, which she seemed to do quite often. "Just got fired. I'm here to forget."</p><p>"You'll be fine," insisted Lera over the rowdy crowd. </p><p>The man shook his head and let out a whoosh of air in shared dismay. He poured two more shots. "These are on me. Enjoy."</p><p>The women raised their shots in thanks. As they did, the bartender took the rag from his shoulder and began washing other glasses. He had striking green eyes, and he seemed to know it. He caught Lera's gaze and leaned in over the bar counter enough so he could lower his voice.</p><p>"I bet you get asked about that scar all the time."</p><p>Lera's smile didn't disappear. She stared back into the man's eyes, unwavering. "Yeah. You gonna ask, too?"</p><p>The bartender's brilliant eyes were alive with light. He smiled widely, the dimples in his cheeks impossibly pronounced. He and Finka looked into each other's eyes for a long moment before he finally averted his gaze to wait on another customer down the line.</p><p>"Nah," he answered at last, back-pedaling away from the two women. "I like the mystery." With that, he turned on his heel and greeted a group of college kids gathered around the bar.</p><p>Lera felt a nudge, and she turned to see Natalya grinning cheekily. Oh my god, she mouthed.</p><p>"What?" Lera rolled her eyes and snorted dismissively. "Him?"</p><p>Natalya gawked at the woman. "Are you kidding right now? He wants you, girl. Bad."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>"Baaaad."</p><p>"Whatever."</p><p>"He's gotta be like five years younger than us!" Natalya cocked her head sideways and batted her eyelashes obnoxiously. "I like the mystery," she cooed in a comically deep voice. "Let's go to my place."</p><p>Lera seized the woman's shot glass and slid it away out of her reach. "You've had enough tonight."</p><p>Natalya gasped in protest and made a mad grab for her glass, but she hit Lera's hand and bumped the glass over instead, spilling vodka all over the bar top.</p><p>Both women laughed obnoxiously, overcome by simultaneous hilarity and horror as the attention of the other patrons - and the bartender - found them.</p><p>A waitress rounded the corner of the bar with a towel. She pressed it to the counter to soak up the spilled vodka. "Refill?" she asked.</p><p>"I- oh, shit. N-no," Lera sputtered. "I'm so - we - we are so sorry." </p><p>Natalya raised a hand to her mouth as if she was a child who was just caught saying a bad word. "I'm sorry. That was my fault." She steeled herself and sat up straight. "Seriously. Here." She hopped off her stool and recovered from a rather shaky landing with Finka's help before reaching for the towel.</p><p>"It's fine," the waitress said.</p><p>"No, please." Natalya nudged the girl's hand and took the rag. "I'll clean it up. I can't do that to you."</p><p>The waitress grinned gratefully. "You sure?"</p><p>"Of course! You're trying to work here and I'm spilling shit." Natalya dabbed at the counter's edge. "I'm sorry. I've got this. You're fine."</p><p>"Thanks, hon."</p><p>Lera smiled at the waitress as she grabbed some menus and hurried to take care of a table waiting for their bill.</p><p>"I'm cutting us off," Natalya announced as she soaked up the last of the spill.</p><p>"You? You're cutting us off?"</p><p>"Yes. Look at this mess. No more tonight." Natalya broke into laughter, unable to maintain a straight face. She circled back to her stool and sat with a grunt. "What a fucked up day," she mumbled, rummaging through her purse.</p><p>Lera reached into her jacket for her wallet. "Nuh uh. I told you, it's on me tonight."</p><p>"Oh, yeah." Natalya mumbled absently, and kept looking through her purse. "Stupid wallet is caught on something."</p><p>"No, no, no." Lera gently forced her hand over the woman's purse. "I said I'm paying for it."</p><p>Natalya froze and managed a grin. "Right. Thank you." Her smile faded, her lips quivered, and she bowed her head to the bar counter and groaned. "Fuck. I'm fucked."</p><p>Lera put a hand to her shoulder. "You can tell me about it later. Let's take a walk, Talya. Walk and talk. Come on."</p><p>"What about the hot bartender?"</p><p>"Nah." Lera left cash on the counter and waved a goodbye to the bartender. "I know a girl who's just as tatted up, but with twice the muscle."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. “FRAGILE LOYALTIES”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov receives some unwelcome news.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Finka headed out into the night with her old friend Natalya, Matvei Federov was unwittingly just blocks away, traveling with Boris.</p><p>Matvei stared out the passenger's side window of the car. "Something feels off, Boris."</p><p>His lieutenant didn't take his eyes off the road, and slowed to a stop at the red light. "I agree."</p><p>Matvei had met Deputy Prime Minister Valeriya Shumeyko, as she had requested. He had chosen to be honest with her about his plans for a nuclear bomb detonation - radical as it was - and she had been surprisingly receptive to the plan, even offering to assist him in acquiring it.</p><p>The Moscow city lights lit up the night and washed over the windshield of the car as the pair drove towards their unofficial hideout at the Pashkov House. A long, thoughtful silence ensued before Matvei straightened in his seat and cleared his throat.</p><p>"I told Shumeyko about the deal with the MARCOS commander: money for the materials for a nuke, plain and simple. Told her about Yevgeni and the others - Arseny, Vachislav, the boys - going to New Delhi to make the exchange." Matvei sighed in frustration. "I just told her the truth. We had the money, our men went to acquire the materials, and I haven't fucking heard back from them."</p><p>Boris frowned as he turned onto a bridge arcing over the Moskva River. "And? What'd she say?"</p><p>Matvei lost himself for a moment. He was replaying his final conversation with Viktor Sidorov earlier that day in his mind. He was remembering lying to the man, urging him to sacrifice his life, and the lives of his men, to create chaos in Washington D.C.</p><p>It was all happening too fast. He hadn't even had a chance to mourn his friends' deaths.</p><p>"Matvei? What did she say to that?"</p><p>Federov blinked and sank back into the present. "That's just it. She was so... accepting."</p><p>"Accepting?"</p><p><i>"Da."</i> Matvei rubbed his grizzled chin. "I always tell you I'm a good judge of character, Boris. Valeriya was surprised, but...." He trailed off momentarily. "She didn't feel surprised. It felt... off. Fake. I don't know."</p><p>Boris frowned again. "About what? The nuke? Our deal with the MARCOS guy?"</p><p>"Any of it. I got the impression that she was trying to project shock, but what I got instead was too much of a performance. She was too shocked. Too surprised." Matvei tugged his seatbelt uncomfortably. "She raised her voice at the wrong moments, you know? Just... felt off."</p><p>The pair drove in silence over the bridge.<br/>Matvei watched the shimmering city lights on the surface of the Moskva River, and he felt a sudden chill in the pit of his stomach.</p><p>Yegor. Viktor. Petr. Adrian. Sergei. Petra. Dusan. Dmitri. So many others, all dead in just a few days' time.</p><p>Matvei's conscience reared its head in the dark waters of his mind, and he forced it away as swiftly as it had come.</p><p>Now was not the time for mourning.</p><p>He had a bomb to build, and materials to acquire. He had questions for his contacts in New Delhi that needed answering.</p><p>And then, as if an unseen deity had empathized with Matvei's inner turmoil, his phone rang, and the leader of November Sun found himself staring at the screen of his phone in disbelief.</p><p>He answered. <i>“Алло.”</i></p><p>"It's me," came a man's voice. Matvei recognized him instantly: the mysterious Khatri, the rogue captain who had supposedly deserted the MARCOS - India's Marine Commandos - and now ran black market operations in New Delhi.</p><p>The last time he and Khatri had spoken, they had agreed to the sale of materials to assemble a crude nuclear device.</p><p>Matvei leaned forward in his seat. "You owe me a bomb, and an explanation."</p><p>"I don't owe you shit, you arrogant fuck." The former MARCOS commander's words were laced with anger. "You Russians are all the same. Think you can do whatever the fuck you want to do."</p><p>A rush of anger surged up into Matvei's chest. He nearly erupted into a furious onslaught, but he stopped himself and narrowed his eyes in realization. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>Khatri laughed. "You must think I'm stupid."</p><p>"No, I do not." Matvei paused. "I think I'm missing something here."</p><p>The line was quiet for a lengthy moment.</p><p>"Khatri?" Matvei tried. "What's happened? What am I missing?"</p><p>The rogue commander on the other line clicked his tongue scoldingly. "You really don't know, do you?"</p><p>"The suspense is killing me. What the fuck is going on? Tell me."</p><p>Khatri chuckled to himself. "Mr. Federov, it appears your men are not as loyal to your cause as you thought they were."</p><p>"I don't understand. We gave you the money. My men came to pick up the packages."</p><p>"No. Your men - what was their leader's name, uh... Yevgeni? They betrayed you. Both of us."</p><p>Matvei froze. "What?"</p><p>"Rather than honor our deal," Khatri replied, "your men took your money, showed up and tried to kill my courier and his escorts so they could take the packages, too."</p><p>"Fuck," Matvei breathed.</p><p>"Indeed. Your men showed up with fake cash and tried to take my merchandise. They are all dead, now." Matvei could hear Khatri's smile over the phone. "We chopped them up and served them to some homeless children in the slums."</p><p>Matvei wanted to scream. Yevgeni and the others had betrayed him. They had betrayed all of their comrades. They had jeopardized November Sun's final mission. "I-I... listen, they—"</p><p>"No, you listen; and listen closely," interrupted Khatri. "I still want your money. You still want my bomb. I think we can work out a deal."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. “RICH MEN IN HIGH TOWERS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natalya shares some bad news with Finka.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nearly midnight by the time Lera and Natalya headed back to their hotel. The Crowne Plaza lit up the night with a golden glow, warm and inviting amidst the Moscow streets.</p><p>The pair walked along the sidewalk. Natalya was laughing at her own joke so hysterically that Lera couldn't help but join in, and she nearly snorted with laughter.</p><p>Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much that night, and it was then that Finka realized how long it had been since she had allowed herself to feel good about much of anything.</p><p>"Talya," she managed between chortles, "you still haven't told me anything about what happened."</p><p>The other woman groaned and looked up to the night sky. "Ugh."</p><p>"Normally I wouldn't push, but I think it can be good to talk about these things."</p><p>"I know. I know." Natalya slowed her step and shoved her hands in her pockets. "There was an oil spill, up in the Kara Sea."</p><p>Lera's jaw clenched. "Pretty bad?"</p><p>"Remember the BP oil spill in 2010? Gulf of Mexico?</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Natalya sighed. "This is worse." She stopped walking and looked to the cracks in the sidewalk at her feet. "Like - an entire board of the highest paid lawyers in the country just failed to sweep it under the rug."</p><p>Lera let her companion's words sink in, and she nodded her understanding.</p><p>Tears had begun to form in Natalya's eyes, and she wiped them away with one hand. "You can't lose in my business, Lera. When I say I'm fucked, I mean I'll never practice law again. They'll make sure of it."</p><p>"Who is 'they'?"</p><p>"You know. The powers that be. The rich men in their high towers."</p><p>Lera frowned crookedly. "I know the type."</p><p>Natalya let out a slow, mighty breath and finally met Lera's gaze. Her dark eyes were pools of regret. Sorrow. Pain. "I'm going to lose everything. My house. All of it. It's all tied to my corporation. I've never lost before, and...." she shrugged and trailed off before bowing her head again in defeat.</p><p>The gravity of it all finally hit Lera, and she stepped forward and embraced her friend tightly. "I'm sorry, Talya."</p><p>Natalya buried her face in Lera's shoulder, still buzzed from the drinks at then bar, and she failed to stifle her sobs. "Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit." Her words were muffled by Lera's jacket.</p><p>"Let's get back to the hotel. It's almost midnight."</p><p>Natalya pulled away, wiping her eyes furiously. "Here I am, crying like a little girl. Ugh."</p><p>"It's okay."</p><p>"Thank you, but it's not." The woman managed a smile as they both continued walking to the hotel nearby. "There won't be time for that in the days to come."</p><p>Lera shrugged. "Doesn't mean you aren't allowed to feel pain."</p><p>Her friend looked at her curiously. "Really. Did you go into psychology at NSU and never tell me?"</p><p>"Not quite," chuckled Lera. "But a colleague of mine - well, my boss - he's very insightful. He's taught me some things. Useful things."</p><p>"You haven't told me about your work!" Natalya exclaimed. "Forgive me. I've just been going on and on about myself."</p><p>"No. It's boring."</p><p>"But what are you doing these days?"</p><p>"Research." Lera shrugged. It wasn't a lie, after all. "Muscular anatomy. Boring stuff."</p><p>Natalya's eyes widened. Her features hardened with determination, like she was trying very hard to recall something. She held up a finger and pointed to Lera. "Muscular neuropathy. CMT. I remember."</p><p>Lera smiled softly, but said nothing.</p><p>Natalya put a hand to the woman's shoulder. "Forgive me," she asked again. "I haven't even asked. How are you doing with all of that? I remember it being in remission when we were in school."</p><p>Lera sighed. It was this kind of attention, this pity, that she hated. "I'm fine." Kind of a lie. "Just doing research. Taking it a day at a time.</p><p>"Any luck?" Natalya asked.</p><p>"Now it's me saying 'forgive me'," answered Lera with an apologetic grin, "but I'd rather not talk about it. I'm on vacation to get away from it."</p><p>"Say no more," her friend declared. "Matter of fact, same for me. Out of sight, out of mind. Fuck Rosneft. They want to fire me? Their loss."</p><p>"Damned right."</p><p>Lera and Natalya continued on. The night wind was a pleasant breeze, and seemed to match the rhythm of the headlights of the occasional passing car. A gust sent leaves scattering about at the women's feet, and Lera turned to her friend with sudden realization. "Didn't you say your company cancelled your hotel reservation, too?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Lera scowled. "What assholes."</p><p>"Indeed."</p><p>"Well, I mean - if you need a place to stay, you can crash in my room. I have a suite."</p><p>Natalya looked to Lera and fawned gratefully. "That's sweet. Seriously. Thank you, but I've got it covered."</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Oh yeah." Natalya pursed her lips to blow stray strands of dark hair from her eyes. "They can suck it. I'm still made of money, honey. Lawyer life."</p><p>Lera laughed. "Good."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. “MISS YOU ALL”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka reflects on present circumstances.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finka gave Natalya a farewell embrace in the lobby before returning to her room on the seventh floor. The door clicked shut behind her, and she eyed the mini bar as she hung her jacket.</p><p>She was still tipsy from the drinks earlier, but the walk with Natalya had sobered her up.</p><p>She could handle another.</p><p>Lera took the bottle of vodka out of the freezer and tipped it for a moderate pour to an icy glass. She sipped it, savoring the chill as it iced her lips, and set the glass down before heading to the bathroom.</p><p>She was tired, but didn't want to sleep yet, and so she showered quickly before emerging to retrieve her drink. The woman went to the living area and dimmed the lights, cracked open the blinds, and slumped onto the outrageously comfortable sofa.</p><p>She watched the glow of the city beyond her window, and Lera sipped from her drink as she unlocked her phone.</p><p>After a few minutes of scrolling, she sighed in exasperation. Every part of her wanted to look up the news and hear details of what happened in D.C. that day. She knew her teammates were okay, but it killed her not to know the details.</p><p>Lera opened a new text to Alexsandr. <i>Who all went?</i> she asked.</p><p>She deleted it. Frowned. Took another drink.</p><p><i>Did you all debrief yet?</i> Lera looked at the unsent text for a long moment before erasing it. Being away from her colleagues was agonizing. Did that make her dependent? Weak? Had she really grown so attached to Rainbow?</p><p>She felt guilty, like she should have at least been on base while her teammates were in harm's way.</p><p>
  <i>Our safety does not depend on you. Harry's words echoed in her mind. This is not your burden.</i>
</p><p>Lera rolled her eyes and got to her feet. She stalked to the bedroom miserably, kicking her shoes to the floor and stepping out of her jeans as she moved. She didn't bother turning on the light as she collapsed onto the edge of her bed with a sigh, crawled up toward the headboard, and let her face fall into the absurdly comfortable pillows.</p><p>The woman let out a frustrated growl that was muffled by the pillows, and lay there for a long moment before turning onto her side and unlocking her phone. She opened another text to Alex, and Lera watched the blinking cursor for what felt like longer than she should have before finally tapping away at the screen.</p><p>
  <i>Glad you're safe. Miss you all. </i>
</p><p>Lera sent the text and then pulled up the pic Tachanka had sent. She studied it with a grin before bursting into laughter once again.</p><p>She realized she missed them all so much because they were family. Her entire adult life, all the woman had was her sickness, and her research; then in 2018, Operation Chimera happened in New Mexico, and she was recruited to Rainbow. Everything changed for her.</p><p>A pain suddenly stabbed into her gut, and the woman curled up with a grunt, clutching at her stomach. "Fuck," she hissed. </p><p>Almost everything had changed. It seemed her neuropathy would always outrun her.</p><p>She sighed, still curled up in a fetal position on her bed, and took some deep breaths. Her symptoms had decided to skip the numbness and tingling, and go straight for what felt like a burning blade in her abdominal muscles.</p><p>And then suddenly, it was gone.</p><p>Finka relaxed, afraid to let go of herself for a moment, and then exhaled in relief as she rolled onto her back. She thought about texting Doc to see how things were going.</p><p>Her phone pinged softly with a notification. She assumed it was a cheeky reply of sorts from Alex, but she was wrong. It was a pic sent from Natalya.</p><p>The Moscow city lights spread far and wide beneath the night. A ferry boat glowed on the Moskva River in the distance. The stars were barely visible, but the moon shone brightly upon as far as the eye could see.</p><p>There was no text with the image.</p><p>Finka was still dazed by her neuropathy's sudden attack but she managed a smile.</p><p>Seconds later, Natalya sent a Spotify link to a song. The artist was "ELMAN", an attractive young man striking a to-be-expected edgy pose on the cover for the track; the song was "Антигерой" - or, "Antihero".</p><p><i>In love with this song right now!</i> Natalya's message read. <i>I remember you hate pop music but check it out. Lyrics are kind of a downer lol </i></p><p>Finka crinkled her nose in dismay. She hated when people thrusted videos, songs, links, or articles on her to "check out." She found it annoying. She was less likely to watch or listen to something if it was suggested by someone else.</p><p>It didn't help that she did hate pop music, but she was more surprised that Natalya was sending her a song to listen to. Perhaps, if it was anyone else, she would have just returned to scrolling Reddit without a word.</p><p>But her old college friend had been quite the breath of fresh air, and so the woman obliged. Finka plugged in her earbuds - she would never dare listen to music played on a phone speaker - and collapsed backward onto the bed.</p><p>She closed her eyes, was about to hit play when a knock sounded at the door, jarring her silence.</p><p>Finka leapt to her feet in surprise and made her way to the door, her bare feet stepping lightly on the carpet. She put her eye to the peephole and was surprised to see Natalya standing out in the hallway.</p><p>She opened the door. "Talya?"</p><p>"H-hey." Natalya's eyes were pink, like she had been crying. "Sorry. I'm okay. I swear. I just... I need to talk to you. I'll be quick."</p><p>Finka's eyes narrowed in momentary confusion, and she instinctively looked up and down the hallway before opening the door for the woman and beckoning her inside.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. “I’M NOT OKAY”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natalya confides in Finka.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lera closed the door behind Natalya as she entered, and touched a hand gingerly to her shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yes. No. I mean, I am now."</p><p>"Are you hurt?" Lera asked, looking the woman up and down. "What happened?"</p><p>Natalya was biting her lip fretfully. "Can I sit?" she asked, gesturing to the couch near the window.</p><p>"Of course. Do you need some water?"</p><p>"Please?"</p><p>Lera hurried to the water cooler near the mini bar and filled a glass, and returned quickly. She handed it to Natalya and sat down beside her. </p><p><i>"Spasibo."</i>Natalya drank and wiped her mouth before setting the glass on the coffee table. She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry for this, Lera."</p><p>"Please just tell me what happened. You've got me worried." Lera realized her earbuds were still in, and she took them out and unplugged them from her phone. "I'm about to listen to that song you sent me, and you're here in tears. What's going on?"</p><p>Natalya managed a smile. "Still? That good, huh?"</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"I sent that song to you a couple hours ago. Right after the pic of the city."</p><p>"Oh?" Lera looked down at her phone. "Strange. I just got them both a few minutes ago."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Really." Lera watched her companion carefully and tried to catch her gaze. "Tell me what's going on, Talya."</p><p>The woman broke into a wide smile. She looked down at her feet, almost shyly, and she ran a hand absently through her dark hair. "'Talya.' You know, you're the only one who's ever called me that... except my mom." She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but she faltered.</p><p>Lera was growing nervous. She felt strange sitting there and just staring at Natalya as she struggled, and so she scooted a bit closer and put her arm around the woman. "Hey," she whispered. "You're okay. You can tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me; only if you want."</p><p>"I'm not okay," Natalya whispered. She shrugged out of Lera's embrace and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees.</p><p>Lera could see Natalya's lips quivering. She was trying to hold back more tears. Her hands were clasped together so tightly that her knuckles were growing white as snow. "Take your time. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want."</p><p>Natalya took a sharp, deep breath and wiped her eyes a final time. "I sent that pic from the roof of the hotel," she said. "I've been up there since we got back. Almost three hours."</p><p>Lera waited patiently for her to continue.</p><p>"I was up there because I was going to jump."</p><p>Lera's mouth opened slightly. "Oh, Talya."</p><p>Natalya's eyes fell to the floor at her feet. "My marriage hasn't been good. Husband and I... we suffered a miscarriage last year. He blamed me. Like it could somehow be my fault.”</p><p>Lera blinked, trying to remain objective in her thinking. She said nothing.</p><p>Natalya's face twisted into sorrow, and she shook her head. "Told him I got fired. Know what he said to me, Lera?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"'Why, Natalya? What did you do?'" Natalya burst into tears. Embarrassed, she snatched a pillow from the end of the couch and pressed it to her face. "I can't anymore," she sobbed, her words muffled. "It's too much, Lera. It just hurts too much. I can't do it anymore."</p><p>Lera was careful to stay calm. She scooted closer and hugged the woman tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and gave her a light kiss on top of her head. "I know what it's like to want to end it all. I do."</p><p>Natalya dug her fingers into the pillow. She said something, but her words were indiscernible.</p><p>"What was that?" Lera asked.</p><p>The woman finally let the pillow drop. Tears wet her cheeks, and her eyes shimmered in the dim glow of the nearby floor lamp. "It's because of you that I didn't do it. I mean... I was going to. End it, I mean. Tonight. But I decided not to."</p><p>Lera raised her eyebrows. "What? What do you mean?"</p><p>Natalya cracked a smile through her tears and looked up at the ceiling. "When I walked into the hotel this morning, I did not expect to make it through this afternoon. I didn't even have a reservation." She looked to Finka. "Then I saw you, Lera, and suddenly I felt better. Old memories of better times at university, maybe. I had just wanted to go to the roof and—" She paused. "I saw you and I decided to wait."</p><p>The pair sat in silence. Lera still had her arm around Natalya, and she spent some time trying to search for the words for what she was feeling. "Life's tough," she said finally. "Whoever says it's not is either lying, or is God himself. I'm supposed to be here on vacation. I don't even know how to do that."</p><p>"No?"</p><p>Lera shook her head. "My whole life has been like a bomb ticking away, with my neuropathy always there. I don't know how to enjoy anything. I don't really enjoy life. I just throw myself into my work, my research, try to delay the inevitable. I don't really like other people, but I hate being alone." Her eyes grew distant. "Gives me too much time to think."</p><p>Natalya shifted and sat up straighter to get more comfortable. She looked to Lera with concern. "Your neuropathy went into remission, right? Because of your research?"</p><p>Lera sighed and looked down at the creases in her hands. "The symptoms have returned," she muttered. "I have no way of knowing yet how severe it will get, or how quickly."</p><p>*     *     *</p><p>
  <i>~ If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, first understand you are not alone. Help is available, and you ARE worth it. A simple Google search can put you in touch with the right people, like suicidepreventionlifeline.org</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. “HEALING”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka finds comfort in Natalya’s arms.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Natalya's jaw dropped. "Oh my God. I'm sorry."</p><p>"Don't be. Really. It's okay."</p><p>"It's okay?" Natalya stood suddenly and turned to look down at Lera. "Here I am feeling sorry for myself and you've been fighting your whole fucking life. And—"</p><p>"Talya—"</p><p>"—show up here in tears because I can't handle my own hardships. I'm so sorry."</p><p>"Natalya!" Lera protested, a bit more scoldingly than she intended. "You cannot think that way."</p><p>The other woman paced about, nearly bumping into the coffee table. "No? How do you figure?"</p><p>Lera stayed seated, and she watched her friend's face as she paced back and forth. "You can't compare hardships with someone else," she said softly. "Wanting to end it all doesn't make you weak."</p><p>"Doesn't it?"</p><p>"You just called me 'strong' for fighting my whole life." Lera's gaze fell. "I still want to give up sometimes. Does that make me weak?"</p><p>Natalya stopped pacing and faced her. "No!" she practically shouted. "Absolutely not!"</p><p>Lera allowed a soft smile. "Then neither are you." She opened her palms in her lap and stared down at her hands, and eyed the calluses on her fingers. A shadow enveloped her suddenly, and Lera looked up to see Natalya standing over her.</p><p>"Thank you," Natalya whispered. She bent down to hug Lera, and when she withdrew her embrace, she eyed Lera's hands in curiosity. She knelt and poked at her callused palms. "Damn," she snorted. "Is that from the gym?"</p><p>Lera chuckled. "Yes." Among other things, of course, that she was not at liberty to discuss.</p><p>"Figured." Natalya stood upright and began pacing again. "You don't skip leg day. I'm jealous, girl." She sighed. "I need to work out."</p><p>Lera laughed, not quite sure what to say. She watched her friend for a long moment. "Talya."</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>"I'm glad you're still here."</p><p>Natalya stopped and smiled ruefully at the woman. She was in danger of spiraling into more tears, so she mouthed Thank you. She plopped down on the seat next to Lera, swung an arm around her, and leaned on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, too, Lera."</p><p>The pair sat in silence for a lengthy time. The muffled laughter of a man and woman outside in the hallway floated into the room. They could hear a car honk out in the street behind the window, and the distant drone of a helicopter somewhere amidst the Moscow skyline.</p><p>Lera cleared her throat. "You should stay here tonight."</p><p>Natalya lifted her head from her friend's shoulder. "No - I don't want to impose. Seriously."</p><p>"You wouldn't!" Lera insisted. "I'll sleep on the couch. It's glorious. You can have the bed." She paused. "I guess... I just..."</p><p>"I get it," Natalya whispered. "You don't have to explain. I don't want to be alone, either."</p><p>Lera sighed and lay back against the couch, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. She exhaled mightily. She opened her mouth to say something but realized she had no idea what to say next, and so she just closed her eyes.</p><p>Natalya scooted closer and leaned over her. She brushed rogue strands of hair from Lera's eyes before lightly touching the skin on her forehead, near her scar. "Does it ever hurt?"</p><p>"No. Tingles, sometimes. Itches. But never hurts." The sudden intimacy surprised her, but Lera didn't open her eyes.</p><p>She felt Natalya's fingertip tracing her scar lightly. Lera resisted the urge to bat her hand away, and her heart began to race when she sensed the other woman's feelings, heavy in the air.</p><p>Natalya's fingers traced Lera's cheek, her jaw, down to her chin. "You're an amazing person, Lera. You always have been."</p><p>Lera finally opened her eyes and rolled her neck on the back of the couch to look at the woman. "No," she countered quietly. "I'm just tired. Tired all the time, trying to pretend I'm not."</p><p>"I know the feeling." Natalya leaned her face in, but hesitated. "Is this okay?" she chanced. "Am I being stupid?"</p><p>Butterflies fluttered about in Lera's chest. "It's okay," she whispered.</p><p>Natalya's dark eyes were just inches away from Lera's. She lingered close before cupping Lera's face in both hands. She kissed her forehead and moved upward, gently pressing her lips to Finka's scar. </p><p>Lera shivered slightly, and hoped it wasn't too obvious. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to be intimate with anyone. She rarely saw the point in it, and had been too distracted in recent years by the clock on her life to let herself enjoy someone else's company.</p><p>Natalya brushed her mouth against Lera's cheeks. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered again, and she tilted her chin to kiss her.</p><p>Lera greeted her hesitantly at first, but when Natalya cradled the back of her head and pulled her closer, Lera's lips parted for hers. The warmth was arresting.</p><p>Lera's heart raced as Natalya swept a leg over over her lap. They kissed for a long, sensual moment before Lera fell back to the couch and gently pulled Natalya down with her.</p><p>Lera shut her eyes tight, refusing to open the door for bad memories, her troubles, for her numbness and pain. She ran her fingers through her companion's hair. When Natalya's affection sank lower and her lips caressed Lera's neck, Lera resolved to let go and lose herself in the woman's arms; even if just for one night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. “AN OLD FRIEND”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry receives an unexpected visitor.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SEPTEMBER 11, 2019<br/>RAINBOW HQ - HARRY'S OFFICE<br/>HEREFORD, ENGLAND</p><p>A new day's sun rose over Hereford, but Director Six had not slept. He was in his office going over the field audio transcripts that were routinely recorded during operations. Writing up the mission report after an op was a tedious process. Not many eyes would ever see Rainbow's reports, but those that did belonged to powerful people.</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes and sipped his tea. The U.S. was already trying to charge Rainbow for the "irreparable" damage done by the wall reinforcements they had deployed in the parking garage.</p><p>Luckily, Rainbow was blessed with a very deep pool of funding for compensation and damages. Regardless, budgetary matters were Harry's least favorite part of the job.</p><p>There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Harry called.</p><p>The door opened and Anya stepped in. "You have a visitor, Harry."</p><p>The man raised his eyebrows, finished signing the document in front of him, and looked up to see Aurelia Arnot, his old friend and the former Director of Rainbow, enter the room. Anya closed the door behind her to leave Harry and Aurelia alone.</p><p>Harry stood quickly. "Aurelia? Hell of a surprise." He rounded the desk and shook the woman's hand.</p><p>Aurelia smiled charmingly. "Been awhile, Harry. How the hell are you?"</p><p>"Life could be worse."</p><p>"Is Bandit still a pain in the ass?"</p><p>"Of course." Harry chuckled and gestured to an open chair at the desk, across from his. "Please, sit. Coffee?"</p><p>"No, thank you."</p><p>Harry sat and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk. "You're very welcome. What brings my predecessor here?"</p><p>The woman flashed him a wry grin. "You know I like just getting to the point."</p><p>"I'd be worried if it were otherwise."</p><p>"Indeed." Aurelia clasped her hands together. "I wanted to make a friendly professional suggestion to you, as a colleague, with absolute respect. I came in person because I wasn't about to do it with a phone call or a text. I feel you deserve more than that."</p><p>"Oh, goodness. Please." Harry straightened his glasses. "I would never turn down advice from you, regardless of how you relayed it. You know that. But I appreciate the gesture. Truly."</p><p>Aurelia smiled. "You've done great work, Harry. John and Ding think so, too."</p><p>The mention of John Clark, the accomplished black ops extraordinaire and founder of Rainbow, and Domingo Chavez, Clark's son-in-law and one of Rainbow's original ace operators, brought a reverent smile to Harry's face. "Thank you, Aurelia."</p><p>"Mm. Now - I'm here to say that being on-site with Rainbow teams during an op is probably not the best idea."</p><p>Harry grinned. "Ah."</p><p>"You're too valuable to be so close to the action." The woman's face hardened. "I watched that shitshow in D.C. on the news. I know you were there. A lot of shit went down in a wide radius. Could've easily been you catching a stray bullet, or rocket."</p><p>"I know you're right." Harry folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. "I just don't like it."</p><p>"A common dilemma for most of us." </p><p>"You're not the first to bring this up to me, if that makes you feel any better. Doug, Vince, Kate. They've all voiced their opinions. Cohen was the most adamant. Drives her absolutely insane that I go to mission sites."</p><p>The pair shared a laugh. "I'm sure," said Aurelia. "Ash is a good kid. How is she? Was she in D.C.?"</p><p>Harry shook his head. "No, but she was in Brussels."</p><p>"Ah." Aurelia's smile did not disappear. "I'm not here to tell you how to run this unit, Harry."</p><p>"But you're going to tell me how to, anyway?" He winked good-naturedly.</p><p>"Naturally."</p><p>Harry's smile slowly faded. "I see why it was difficult for you to leave Rainbow. They're a remarkable bunch. Felt like family to me just weeks into it." He removed his glasses and cleaned the lenses with his t-shirt. "Now they are family. It's hard for me to send them into hot zones and not feel guilty for staying behind."</p><p>Aurelia nodded. "I hear you."</p><p>Director Six froze in realization for a second, and then he chuckled. He finished wiping his glasses clean before putting them back on.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>Harry swiveled in his chair and gazed out the office window for a long moment. He was thinking of his letter to Finka; how he had told her to let go and unplug, how the safety of the others was not her burden to bear.</p><p>Was he not, in a way, guilty of doing the same?</p><p>"Nothing," Harry said, smiling. "You just made more realize something." He clapped his hands together. "Fine. I will heed your advice. Consider my mind changed."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0057"><h2>57. “NIGHTMARE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry and Aurelia conclude their discussion. Finka wakes from a nightmare in her hotel room.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aurelia frowned, though there was a cheeky spark in her eyes. "Is that a fact?"</p><p>"It is."</p><p>"Fuck off, Harry."</p><p>Harry burst into laughter, and he waved his hands assuringly. "I promise you!” His tone grew serious. "Somebody once told me that 'self-reflection is one of life's great teachers.' Sound familiar?"</p><p>Aurelia rolled her eyes and grinned. "Flattery won't work on me," she jabbed.</p><p>"It's not flattery. I assure you." Harry caught her gaze and nodded softly. "You told me that once, and wouldn't you know, it just applied to our conversation here today."</p><p>"Well, like I said; it's your unit." Aurelia checked her watch, then looked back to Harry and smiled warmly. "You're too valuable to too many people, and besides... I like you." She stood, and Harry joined her. "So don't fuck it all up by getting yourself killed."</p><p>"Heard. Loud and clear." Harry extended his hand. "Thank you, Aurelia."</p><p>She shook his hand firmly. "You're very welcome, Harry. Take care, now." Her eyes darted to the files on his desk. "Enjoy the paperwork"</p><p>"Very funny."</p><p>As quickly as she had entered, former Director Six left, and Harry chuckled to himself before paging his secretary. "Anya?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Please inform Doug and Vince that I want to move up our Nighthaven meeting. I think we it'd be better sooner rather than later."</p><p>"Certainly."</p><p>"Thank you. Make sure you get some coffee for yourself, yes?"</p><p>Anya laughed over the speaker. "Don't have to tell me twice, Harry."</p><p>He smiled and ended the call, and then lifted up his phone to send Sledge and Ash a text.</p><p>November Sun debriefing at 17:00.</p><p>He sent the text and turned his attention back to the work on his desk. Eliza and Seamus would pass the news along and make sure everyone was there on time.</p><p>Being in charge had its perks. Delegation was one of many.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>Enormous red shards arced up into the night sky, glowing crimson against the stars. Otherworldly howls sounded from afar, and the dilapidated, destroyed buildings in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, were hauntingly quiet.</p><p>Finka was alone in the middle of the street. She was staring ahead in horror.</p><p>Jäger's helicopter had just gone down. He had tried crawling to her. "Lera!" he was shouting. "Help me!"</p><p>But the swarm of alien Roaches closed in. Finka couldn't move a muscle. She gasped as the creatures attacked the man, and the air grew red with bloody mist as Jäger was torn, and sliced, and pulled, and crushed, and his screams sounded as maimed and dismembered as his body.</p><p>Tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She raised her weapon, but she could not pull the trigger.</p><p>A booming howl erupted from behind her. She was able to turn around now, and she saw the hulking creature lumbering towards her with frightening speed.</p><p>A Smasher.</p><p>It was enormous. Its muscles rippled against its skin, and its armored exoskeleton glinted in the red glow of nearby alien shards.</p><p>Terror gripped Finka when she realized she couldn't move out of the Smasher's path. It careened toward her, kicking up chunks of asphalt with each step. It hit the front of a parked sedan, sending the car spinning into a ruined restaurant.</p><p>It let out a guttural roar as it leapt for her. Finka screamed and shut her eyes helplessly.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>"Lera! Wake up!"</p><p>Lera shot up in bed. Her skin glistened with cold sweat, and her chest was rising and falling with panicked breathing.</p><p>"Breathe! Deep breath. In and out. Lera?"</p><p>Finka blinked. She blinked once more, and felt a hand gently turn her face to the side.</p><p>Natalya was there, her dark eyes wide with concern. "Hey," she urged softly. "Look at me. You were having a nightmare. It's over."</p><p>Lera nodded, still too dazed and breathless to say anything. She let out a whoosh of air and collapsed back to the sheets.</p><p>Natalya lay beside her, and she eased her head onto the pillow next to Lera's. "You were screaming," she whispered.</p><p>Lera nodded. Closed her eyes. Tried to concentrate on breathing.</p><p>"You want to talk about it?" Natalya asked softly.</p><p>Lera shook her head. She opened her eyes and twisted onto her side to face the other woman. "Sorry," she whispered sheepishly.</p><p>Natalya kissed her forehead. "Don't be."</p><p>The two women lay in silence, face-to-face with one another before Lera finally slipped an arm around Natalya's waist and traced the dimples in the small of her back.</p><p>"Fuck," Lera breathed. "My heart's still hammering."</p><p>"I have awful nightmares. I never want to talk about them, either. Better left that way, perhaps."</p><p>"Perhaps." Lera smiled and leaned in to kiss her, and Natalya responded eagerly, lightly clutching the curve of Lera's hip with her fingers.</p><p>They shared a long moment in each other's embrace before Natalya withdrew. Her smile faded slowly. "Do you think we made a mistake?" she whispered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0058"><h2>58. “NEW COMFORT”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka and Natalya grow more intimate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lera was not phased by the question, because she was not surprised; she had been wondering the same. "Do you think it was?"</p><p>"A mistake." It was more of a thoughtful echo than a question, and Natalya propped her head up on one hand. "I don't think so."</p><p>"I don't either," Lera murmured. "I needed this. I didn't even know how badly."</p><p>Natalya smiled and managed to avoid blushing. "Me too." Her eyes got lost somewhere over Lera's shoulder for a few moments. "I never felt that way with my hus—" She winced at her mistake. "Ex husband."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Yeah." Natalya was still looking deep into the past, somewhere into bittersweet memory. "I just... I can't even explain it. I always felt self-conscious around him. I was always so... worried, about not being good enough."</p><p>Lera nodded, but remained quiet.</p><p>Natalya finally waded out of the past. She looked Lera in the eyes, and her features softened. "I never felt like he really knew me. And I never felt like I really knew him, because he wouldn't ever actually tell me what the hell was going through that mind of his."</p><p>Lera nodded again.</p><p>"But last night...." Natalya's gaze wandered over Lera's body. "Last night was different. It was impossible because—"</p><p>"You felt like you already knew me?" finished Lera.</p><p>"Yes. I know it sounds crazy."</p><p>"No," Lera answered softly. "It doesn't sound crazy." She sat up and gently eased a leg over Natalya, and sank low enough to kiss her heavily. "It was like that for me too."</p><p>Natalya rose to Lera's affections. She pressed her body to hers, and the women shared another hour together, their bodies entwined amidst the sheets of the hotel bed. The morning sun trickled in through the window blinds, casting lines of light over their skin as the two embraced new comfort in each other's warmth.</p><p>They were finally interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "Housekeeping!" a woman called from the hallway.</p><p>Lera and Natalya froze. Their eyes locked in momentary surprise before melting into realization.</p><p>"Oh shit!" Lera uttered, and she started laughing. "Uh... occupied!" she called. She turned to Natalya with a puzzled look and mouthed, <i>Occupied?</i></p><p>Natalya snorted with laughter.</p><p>The housekeeper muttered something out of earshot, and Lera heard the cleaning cart clattering as it rolled to the next room.</p><p>Natalya rolled out of bed and yawned mightily before pulling on her underwear and squeezing into her jeans. "Ugh," she sighed. "Did I mention I need to work out?"</p><p>"Come on. You look like you still go NSU, for fuck's sake." Lera sat up and swung her legs over the opposite edge of the bed before stepping into her gym shorts and pulling on a t-shirt.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Natalya scoffed, "Ms. 'I have an Olympian's Body' over here. "</p><p>"You're hot, Talya. So stop saying you're not." </p><p>"You're too kind. But seriously, how often do you exercise? You're in amazing shape."</p><p>"Stop," Lera said again, rolling her eyes. "I don't like compliments." Especially about her body - despite her athletic physique, it was the bane of her existence.</p><p>"I think we're beyond that."</p><p>Lera fetched cups of coffee from the pot at the mini bar. She handed one to Natalya, who was seated on the couch, and set hers down before drawing the blinds to the balcony window.</p><p>Lera gazed out at the city. The noon sun was already shining on high. "What are your plans?" she asked over her shoulder.</p><p>"Don't know, actually. Probably go home to St. Petersburg and start packing up."</p><p>"How long do you have before they seize the house?"</p><p>Natalya watched the steam rise from her cup. "Not sure," she sighed. "I'm guessing a week."</p><p>"Seriously?"</p><p>"Mm. What about you?"</p><p>Lera turned to face her. "I'm kind of on an extended vacation." She shrugged. "I'm not out of a job, but my boss wanted me to take some time to chill."</p><p>"Ah." Natalya sipped her coffee. "You fucking hate it, don't you?"</p><p>"Oh, my God." Lera tilted her chin up and pretended to scream, coaxing a laugh from her friend. "I'm having so much trouble. My work, my research - it's what drives me. It's why I wake up in the morning." She circled the coffee table and sat down beside Natalya. "Guess that's his point. My boss, I mean."</p><p>"Sounds like a good guy."</p><p>Lera nodded. "He is. Men like him are rare." She scooped up her coffee and sipped from the mug. "You know, I was having a lot more trouble before I ran into you."</p><p>Natalya beamed. "I'm happy to hear it, because the feeling is mutual."</p><p>Lera smiled and looked her in the eyes for a long moment. She set her mug down and clasped her hands together on her knees, interlacing her fingers. "So... I was thinking, maybe, that—" Lera's mouth grew dry, and she swallowed nervously. "Sorry. So... don't feel obligated, or like you have to say yes, but, uh...."</p><p>Natalya eyed her curiously. </p><p>"Fuck. I'm just gonna say it." Lera cleared her throat, sighed exasperatedly, and finally looked up at Natalya. "What if we kept in touch? What if we, um... I don't know." She tried to force the anxiety from her heart. Tried to stop tripping over her own tongue. "I just, I feel like we—"</p><p>"Okay."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0059"><h2>59. “OPEN ARMS & ACCOLADES”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finka and Natalya take a chance. The Rainbow operators convene for debriefing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lera raised her eyebrows, hoping she hadn't misheard her. "Hm?"</p><p>"Okay," Natalya repeated with a toothy smile.</p><p>"Oh! That is... well. Amazing." Lera let out a mighty sigh of relief.</p><p>Natalya was still beaming. "Look at you, getting nervous on my account. Aw."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>Their laughter echoed through the hotel room. Natalya blew some air gently over her coffee. "Thank you, Lera."</p><p>"For what?"</p><p>"For having the balls to ask. I was trying to figure out how to ask it, myself. Honestly, I don't know if I would have."</p><p>Lera leaned in to kiss the woman's cheek. "No pressure," she said. "No expectations. I don't want you to worry about any of that, okay? Especially with all you have going on right now."</p><p>Natalya smiled ruefully. "Same to you," she managed.</p><p>"I was thinking - and, I mean, tell me if this is too much, but...." Lera cleared her throat again and shifted nervously. "You know what? No. It's too much."</p><p>"What is it? You can tell me."</p><p>Lera bit her lip. "Do you need help packing?" she asked. Her words came out shakier than she would have liked. Her mouth was dry again. "At y-your house, I mean. Of course. I mean, where else would you be packing, obviously, and I know this might be a little hasty, or even weird, and I just wanted to spend some more time together, and figured I could help and—"</p><p>Natalya's face softened. She watched Lera stumble through her feelings, and all she could feel was a fluttering of her heart that she had not felt in many years. Subtle tears wet her eyes, and Natalya set down her coffee and put a hand on Lera's knee. "I would love that."</p><p>"—you know? So just tell me if you don't—" Lera stopped mid-sentence. "Sorry, what?"</p><p>"I would love that," Natalya repeated. She took it upon herself to take Lera's coffee mug from her, and set it down on the table. "Come here," she whispered with open arms.</p><p>Lera obliged. The two hugged tightly and did nothing else but savor the solace they found in each other's arms. The minutes passed, but neither of them cared.</p><p>In those moments, in that thunderous quiet, the world beyond their hotel window mattered not - and Finka would not have had it any other way.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>RAINBOW HQ - SITUATION ROOM</p><p>The entire Rainbow company of operators was<br/>present in the briefing room later that afternoon, five minutes early as usual.</p><p>"It was bullshit," Blackbeard was saying half-sarcastically. "I didn't even get to fire a shot."</p><p>Warden chuckled. "Me neither."</p><p>"Or me," Alibi chimed.</p><p>"Good thing," came Caveira. "A job well done."</p><p>Castle crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not wrong, Taina. But it still would've been nice to squeeze the trigger." He raised his voice and pointed over at Blitz and IQ, who sat a few rows over. "And then you have these two over here, who are just like, "Nah. I got this. Hold my beer and stand the fuck back."</p><p>A round of laughter erupted throughout the room.</p><p>"And let's not forget our SDU comrades," called Tachanka. "Good shit. Siu and Liu killed it."</p><p>Bandit stood. He lifted his notebook and tapped it with a pencil gallantly. "Everyone, shut the fuck up. I would like to make a toast."</p><p>A balled up piece of paper arced through the air and smacked the man in the face before bouncing harmlessly to the floor. More laughter sounded all around.</p><p>Bandit remained standing. He turned and gestured towards a few rows back. "That was quite fast, Elena. I didn't even hear you roll that up."</p><p>"I had it ready," Mira answered. "I knew you'd be doing some bullshit."</p><p>The man put a hand to his chest as if in pain. "Wow. I will remember that in simulation when you ask for my devices to be posted at your mirrors. I will say, 'Fuck no.' Nothing more, nothing less."</p><p>Smoke tore a page from his notepad and began balling it up, and Bandit held up a finger. "Porter? No. Stop! You know not what you're doing!"</p><p>"Did you just quote the Bible?" Jäger asked with a grin.</p><p>"Yes. Maybe." Bandit shrugged. "Probably. But seriously, everyone." He gestured extravagantly to Blitz and IQ. "Let's hear it for these two. They rushed a counterattack and took down four hostiles - while taking a frag. Kötz, Weiss; cheers to you both. Glad you didn't die."</p><p>Blitz and IQ grinned, and waved their hands all around as if on parade.</p><p>"And, let us not forget..." Bandit turned and pointed to Tachanka. "Our Lord Tachanka, Savior of All. King of—"</p><p>"Dominic," Alexsandr boomed, "I will kill you where you stand if you don't stop with that bullshit."</p><p>"I don't know," came Hibana. She winked at Bandit before turning in her seat to face Alex. "I've always liked 'Lord Chanka.' Has a ring to it."</p><p>Tachanka narrowed his eyes. "Always?" he echoed. "How long has this been going on?"</p><p>The door opened before anyone could answer, and Director Six walked in briskly, folders in-hand. "Good afternoon," he called, and a volley of greetings sounded in reply. </p><p>Harry reached the front podium. Ash hit the switch in the back of the room to dim the lights while the man turned on the wall monitors and opened a dossier.</p><p>"And we find ourselves here again." Harry looked out at his operators with a smile. "I want to thank those of you who conducted the operation in D.C. It was a difficult situation, but that's what we're all paid for. Now, without further ado, let's debrief on the November Sun threat."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0060"><h2>60. “DEBRIEFING”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rainbow debriefs on the Washington D.C. mission.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry began the slideshow displayed up in the main monitor. "As you all remember, we were able to take one of the terrorists - Petr Tverdovsky - prisoner in Brussels, thanks to Nøkk's efforts."</p><p>Nomad sat in the seat next to her, and she flashed her a thumbs-up.</p><p>"Through extensive questioning, Belgium has been able to extract adequate information to piece together what we think to be the entire organization." Harry clicked to the next slide. "Yegor Federov - AKA Tsar, the man who led the attacks in Brussels - is only part of the puzzle. He has a brother named Matvei, whom Tverdovsky has named as the mastermind behind November Sun."</p><p>Twitch raised her hand, and Harry nodded to her. "Yes, Pichon?"</p><p>"What's the significance of 'November Sun' as their name?" the woman asked.</p><p>"We don't know yet," Director Six admitted. "Multiple agencies are investigating possibilities of a large scheme planned for November, but we just don't know."</p><p>He clicked to the next slide. "This is Matvei Federov. These are all of his known associates." Over the next minute, Harry read off the names<br/>as portraits of members of November Sun popped up on screen. The Rainbow operators took down notes dutifully.</p><p>"What do all of these men have in common?"</p><p>"Beslan," Fuze replied. There was a tinge of pain in his answer.</p><p>"Precisely. And, as we suspected, Petr Tverdovsky confirmed that November Sun's mission was to seek vengeance for the massacre." Harry's tone grew dark. "It was to culminate in a nuclear device detonation at the Washington E. Convention Center yesterday."</p><p>"Guess we got lucky," Warden remarked dryly.</p><p>"Indeed." Harry progressed the slideshow.</p><p>Four portraits moved to the top center of the screen. Scores of others shrank and were frayed out. One of them was a generic outline of a woman.</p><p>"These four are the only ones remaining; Tverdovsky, who has been giving us intel; Boris Andreyev, Matvei's top lieutenant; and of course, Matvei Federov himself." Harry pointed to the blank female silhouette. "Tverdovsky tells us that there is a female in a power position of sorts that Matvei and Yegor routinely contacted. We don't know her identity, only that she is Russian; and because the Federov brothers kept her identity so secretive, we have to assume she is in a position to do great damage."</p><p>"Russian government?" Ela suggested.</p><p>"Very well could be. We have to assume the worst."</p><p>Harry opened a laptop and swiped some files from the drive over to the operators' desk tablets. "With everyone else KIA, we have Matvei, Boris, and Mystery Russian Woman remaining."</p><p>"Want us to assist with the investigation?" Dokkaebi asked.</p><p>"Roger." Harry took a sip of water before pointing around the room. "You, Pichon, Castellano. Coordinate your efforts with Vince Vion."</p><p>Dokkaebi, Twitch, and Valkyrie all voiced their affirmatives.</p><p>"What a sad story this all was," remarked Frost, gazing up at the many pictures of November Sun's operatives. "They met hell as children, and never left."</p><p>"Good and evil share both sides of a very thin coin." Harry swept his gaze solemnly over the men and women of Rainbow. "Now, daily base operations continue as usual. Besides Dokkaebi, Twitch, and Valkyrie, all schedules remain unchanged. I'll keep you all posted." He looked out at his operators and smiled. "Thank you all for being the best at what you do. You make my job easier. You are dismissed."</p><p>The men and women of Rainbow dispersed, filing noisily out of the briefing room. Their chatter and voices blended together in a stream that Harry found comforting.</p><p>Director Six went over his files for a couple minutes more before shutting down the terminal and connected monitors. He picked up his laptop, grabbed his water, and turned out the lights as he left.</p><p>What he wasn't allowed to discuss with his team was that all intel had already been forwarded to Anna Grímsdóttir of Fourth Echelon. If anyone could find Matvei Federov and his remaining associates, it was Sam Fisher.</p><p>"Harry?" came a gruff voice.</p><p>Harry turned to see Tachanka waiting for him. "Alex. What can I do for you?"</p><p>Alexsandr folded his arms and smiled politely at a woman pushing a mail cart as she passed by. "I know you're busy. Just had a question."</p><p>"Sure." Harry could sense the man was rather distracted. "What's on your mind?"</p><p>"Couple questions. How's Melnikova doing?"</p><p>"She's doing well, actually. Enjoying her vacation."</p><p>Alex didn't bother hiding his surprise. "Really?"</p><p>"I know." Harry grinned. "She's unplugging a bit. Just texted me an hour ago, actually. She's getting some much-needed R&amp;R."</p><p>"Ah. Good." Tachanka lowered his voice, and his eyes fell to the floor. "Listen: there was, uh - in D.C, there were two boys I encountered. Their father was shot, and—"</p><p>"Second floor?" Harry interrupted softly.</p><p>Alex nodded.</p><p>"They're okay, Alex. Their father too. And so is the wounded woman you saved in the food court."</p><p>Relief washed over Alexsandr's face. "Oh. This is good." The man tried to project his usual stone-walled demeanor, but a smile still slipped through. "Good. <i>Spasibo."</i></p><p>"You're welcome, Alex." Harry smiled. "You did good work. Get some rest. You've earned it."</p><p>"Thank you, Director." Tachanka turned on his heel to make his way back through the halls.</p><p>"Alex - call me Harry."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0061"><h2>61. “THE EXCHANGE”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Federov meets with Khatri to acquire the nuclear bomb materials.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TWO DAYS LATER - SEPTEMBER 13, 2019<br/>FOUR MILES NORTH OF KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA</p><p>The road was rocky, and Matvei was jolted about in his seat as Boris guided the car down a winding country road. The weather was beautiful. The sky was a deep blue-charcoal, painted with grey clouds. Wind swept the tall green grass on the rolling hills around them.</p><p>Matvei was nervous. They were minutes away from the rendezvous point with Khatri, their contact from India. If all went well, Khatri would honor their prior agreement, and Matvei would find himself in possession of sufficient materials to engineer a live nuclear bomb.</p><p>He planned to unleash it in the center of Moscow, at the Kremlin. Those bastards that had green-lit the deaths of so many innocents at Beslan would finally pay.</p><p>"You good?" asked Boris, the steering wheel bumping in his hand.</p><p>"Yeah. You?"</p><p>"Yeah." Boris cocked his head slightly. "Maybe. I'll be better when this is all over."</p><p>They passed an old farmhouse that was green with mossy overgrowth. The dirt road thinned, and Boris had to swerve back and forth to carefully avoid massive potholes and rocks.</p><p>"Fuck," Matvei muttered as they hit a hole and were jarred in their seats. "Even if the exchange goes well, we'll have to hope this fucking road doesn't kill our car on the way back."</p><p>Another turn around a hill brought the men to the end of the old dirt road, where another forgotten farmhouse sat in a thicket of trees and foliage. Two trucks and an SUV were already parked in an unkempt gravel lot outside.</p><p>There were armed men outside their vehicles, and they turned to face Matvei and Boris cautiously as they approached.</p><p>"I count eight. Nine. Automatic weapons." Matvei sighed. "If this is the end for us - I appreciate everything, Boris."</p><p>Boris slowed to a stop. "Of course, brother." He held out his hand, and Matvei shook it solemnly.</p><p>A large man in a bulletproof vest over a tank top stepped to the front of the gunmen up ahead. "Engine off," he called.</p><p>Boris gritted his teeth as he turned the key in the ignition. Matvei watched the frontman through the windshield as he beckoned them out of the car. Four of his companions leveled their rifles at the men.</p><p>"Easy, now," Matvei called through the open passenger-side window. "We're unarmed." He slowly poked both hands outside of the car.</p><p>"Step out slowly. No sudden movements, or you will be shot."</p><p>Matvei and Boris obeyed. They stood outside their doors with their arms up. "Where is Khatri?" Matvei asked.</p><p>"I am Khatri." The huge man idled the barrel of his Kalshnikov at Matvei's chest. "If you did not bring the money, like your comrades before you, it will be a very, very sad day for you both."</p><p>"It's in the trunk," Matvei answered. "We—"</p><p>An explosion ripped through Khatri and his men with such force that the blast lifted Matvei and Boris off their feet and sent them reeling backwards.</p><p>The heat was astonishing. Matvei shielded his face after skidding across the dirt. His head hurt. His ears rang. He blinked and tried to sit up.</p><p>Boris was nearby, pushing himself up from the ground. Blood trickled down his face. </p><p>Matvei stood shakily. He cupped his hands around his ears and stared in shock at the carnage ahead of them.</p><p>The three vehicles had been blasted into the air. They were strewn about the thicket, reduced to heaps of metal that burned relentlessly. He could see charred bodies inside the nearest vehicle, the SUV; and a bloodied arm was lodged up in the front wheel well, the skin melted to what remained of a tire.</p><p>Khatri was a bloody mess. His mangled body, like his dead comrades, burned where it lay - a glaring testament to a fiery end.</p><p>"The fuck." Matvei blinked again. He turned to check on Boris. His eyes widened.</p><p>Boris was aiming a handgun at his chest.</p><p>Matvei's forehead furrowed in disbelief. "Boris?"</p><p>The shot was loud. Matvei winced as the bullet tore through his chest. He dropped to his knees, utterly stunned.</p><p>Boris stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Matvei," he whispered. He aimed at the man's face.</p><p>He never pulled the trigger.</p><p>Matvei, gasping for breath, saw the side of Boris's head explode outward before he actually heard the shot.</p><p>His treasonous comrade collapsed lifelessly to the dirt. Matvei could see his skull exposed, and bits of brain matted his bloody jacket.</p><p>Spasms of pain shot through Matvei's body, and he groaned in agony before falling face-first to the ground. He didn't really feel the impact of his face on the rocks and dirt. His chest screamed for relief. His lungs struggled to take in air. Frantic confusion fogged his thoughts.</p><p>Matvei rolled over onto his back. A breeze parted nearby leaves and passed through the thicket. The sounds of the crackling fires around him plummeted Matvei back into Beslan.</p><p>His sister was there. Yegor. Boris. Valeriya. Petr. Yevgeni. Alexei. Mr. Ivanov, his favorite teacher. They were all waving to him from the flames... just standing there, burning.</p><p>His sister was calling to him now. Yegor was crying, holding Marat, their dying friend in his arms. </p><p>Matvei tried to fight the tears, but they streamed down his cheeks without his permission. "I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching with one hand. "Forgive me. Please, forgive me."</p><p>Numerous footsteps neared him, jarring him back to the present, and Matvei looked up to see the beautiful grey skies blocked out by men dressed in black combat fatigues and body armor. Their faces were hidden by balaclavas. He saw the Russian flags on their shoulders, and the accompanying FSB patches.</p><p>"Matvei Federov?" one of the looming men asked.</p><p>Matvei managed to grin as he let out a final exhale. <i>"Da."</i> He gasped for another breath. "Just do it. I'm ready."</p><p>The last thing Matvei Federov saw was the muzzle of a Spetsnaz-grade AK-74.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0062"><h2>62. “LOOSE ENDS”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Secret moves are made in Moscow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>That night....</i>
  </p>
</div>MOSCOW, RUSSIA<br/>TVERSKOY DISTRICT<br/>VALERIYA SHUMEYKO'S RESIDENCE<p>Deputy Prime Minister Valeriya Shumeyko poured herself a glass of wine. She swirled the glass about before closing her eyes and delicately taking in the revealed aromas.</p><p>She was getting a floral, flowery scent; possibly something more exotic? Something tropical?</p><p>Shumeyko tilted the glass to her lips and savored the flavor as she sipped the wine. She let out a satisfied sigh, placed her glass on the marble countertop in her kitchen, and fished her phone out of her pocket.</p><p>She wondered at that moment if she could be considered evil. Conscience was something the woman had left behind in Beslan the day she was scarred by tragedy. When she watched the soldiers who were meant to protect her and her schoolmates instead use reckless, chaotic force with no qualms for innocent casualties, Valeriya's soul had blackened permanently.</p><p>There was no coming back from that.</p><p>She had aced her collegiate studies and put herself on the fast track in the Russian government, and Shumeyko was the youngest woman to have ever held the office of Deputy Prime Minister.</p><p>She glanced at her phone and opened the text message she had received hours earlier, one she probably should have deleted.</p><p>Five minutes.</p><p>The woman took a deep breath and another sip of wine. That was the last she had heard from Boris. He had been more than cooperative so far, having provided her with the location of the meeting with Khatri.</p><p>Men were so fickle. He had been easy to buy off. It was pathetic, really; Boris had thrown years of loyalty and friendship away for a semi-large sum of money that he, of course, would never actually receive.</p><p>Perhaps his weak character was the reason Shumeyko had not yet heard from him. Maybe Boris killed Matvei, as discussed, but decided to take the nuke himself and go rogue?</p><p>She sipped her wine and sighed, rounding the corner of her kitchen island to stare out at the city lights. She saw her reflection in the glass, brushed stray wisps of hair into place.</p><p>Valeriya froze. Her eyes widened when she saw the man behind her in the shadows, in dark clothing. He had raised a gloved hand to aim a—</p><p>A suppressed gunshot snapped in the kitchen. Deputy Prime Minister Shumeyko slumped lifelessly to the floor. Her assailant stood over her callously and shot her twice more in the head before turning to walk out of the kitchen, turning out the lights before he left.</p><p>*               *               *</p><p>THE KREMLIN - MOSCOW</p><p>President Vikhrov stood on the balcony of his home, admiring the city lights with a glass of chilled vodka in-hand. He was thinking of the debacle in Washington, D.C., and he realized he appreciated the view of the city even more than he did before.</p><p>He was a resolute, strong, charismatic, man - cold, by nature, though he loved his country and his people - so Vikhrov was not especially used to being sentimental about anything.</p><p>The man set his drink down and swept his hand gently against the ornate carvings in the concrete railing of the balcony.</p><p>After D.C., he wondered if maybe he should try to be more sentimental. More appreciative of the little things in life; he had worked hard to get where he was, after all.</p><p>Vikhrov rolled up the sleeves of his white-collar business shirt to his elbows before scooping up his glass again. He turned to the two bodyguards stationed behind him. "Drink?" he asked, pointing to the bottle on the table.</p><p>One of the men bowed his head slightly with respect. "Thank you, sir, but we can't drink during shifts. Apologies."</p><p>The Russian President was about to debate the matter when the sliding glass door to the balcony cracked open, and his wife, a sharply-dressed, equally formidable presence, smiled at him as he turned to greet her. "I'm going to bed, Daniil."</p><p>"Already?" he asked, stepping to her. "It's early."</p><p>"I know," she sighed. "I have a headache." She kissed her husband, wished the bodyguards a goodnight, and turned to fade back into their house. "Love you," she called over her shoulder.</p><p>"Love you too," Vikhrov called. He watched his wife disappear upstairs before turning back to the view over the city.</p><p>His phone rang at last.</p><p>The man set his glass down. He lifted it to his ear, and waved his bodyguards away. The men quickly retreated inside and shut the door behind them.</p><p>Vikhrov cleared his throat and answered. <i>"Алло?"</i></p><p>"It's done, sir."</p><p>"All of it?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>President Vikhrov nodded. <i>"Khorosho."</i> He ended the call without a further word.</p><p>The FSB had been onto Shumeyko for some time, and it was through her, with actionable - and legally questionable - surveillance, that the agency discovered the identities of the Federov brothers, along with their contact with extremists in India.</p><p>Matvei and Yegor Federov. The treasonous Deputy Prime Minister Shumeyko. Khatri and his entourage. </p><p>All were dead, nullified. Erased, along with the rest of the November Sun cell.</p><p>All except Petr Tverdovsky, the sole survivor now entombed in a Belgian prison for what would certainly be the rest of his life.</p><p>Tverdovsky wasn't a problem. He was no mastermind - just a man angry enough to join the Federov brothers' crusade, now finding himself on the wrong side of things.</p><p>He would have Tverdovsky killed, anyway.</p><p>President Vikhrov toasted the stars above and took a long swig of vodka. As he walked upstairs to join the First Lady, he found himself still wondering about the meaning behind November Sun's name.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0063"><h2>63. “NOVEMBER SUN”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>November Sun fades from existence.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>JUST OVER THREE WEEKS LATER<br/>OCTOBER 2, 2019</p><p>The Spetsnaz agents at the exchange site near Khabarovsk had searched the bodies of Matvei Federov and Boris Andreyev, along with what remained of Khatri and his men, before disposing of the corpses, bagging personal belongings of the deceased, and putting out the fire in the countryside.</p><p>The unit extracted quickly, informing their superiors that the targets had been eliminated.</p><p>They had missed one thing, though: a folded piece of paper, worn and faded by time's sands. It had been in Matvei's pocket, but the wind had taken it from the bucket of his belongings in the back of the Ural utility truck before it could be secured in an evidence bag.</p><p>It was this very piece of paper that a boy and his father found three weeks later while hiking the woods north of Khabarovsk.</p><p>Chance, the wind, and perhaps a bit of destiny, had seen the folded document tossed about to a final resting place amongst pine needles and pebbles off the beaten path... and now, beneath the boy's hiking boot.</p><p><i>"Papa!"</i> the boy beckoned. He knelt and picked up the wrinkled paper from the soil, and dusted the dirt off of it.</p><p>"What'd you find?" his father called, stepping over a fallen tree.</p><p>"It's... it's a poem. Someone wrote a poem on it." The boy handed it to his father.</p><p>"Oh?" The man took the page from his son, blew on it to get more dirt off the paper, and held it up to examine it.</p><p>
  <i>For Matty and Yegor<br/>Aug 3, 2004</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Snow will fall, come winter<br/>As the sun shines in the summer<br/>And so shall you rise come morning<br/>No matter how hard you might falter</i>
</p><p>
  <i>If you lose your way on the road<br/>Or perhaps are too weak to run<br/>Remember: not even November fog<br/>Can hide the golden sun</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Bad grades don't define us. I know you'll do better next semester!<br/>Love you both ~ Tania</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0064"><h2>64. EPILOGUE: AUTHOR’S NOTE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A note from the author.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thank you very much for reading <i>Rainbow Six: November Sun.</i>What started as simply a "second R6 novel" turned into something that became near and dear to my heart.</p><p>
  <i>PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING MY WORK</i>
</p><p>I hope you will consider supporting me at Patreon. I work full time in a warehouse, and hope to write fiction like this for a living one day.</p><p>I am writing three original (non-R6) books, and collaborating with illustrators on other projects, including a graphic novel - a modern day military/espionage thriller.</p><p>My dream is to write to entertain and inspire, and with your help, it can happen.</p><p>You can also find me at instagram.com/paul.writes, which is my main platform &amp; where the majority of my readers are, to stay up to date with my projects!</p><p>
  <i>FINKA</i>
</p><p>Finka's bio fascinated me. Her muscular neuropathy condition(s) (CMT) is a hell that many people unfortunately must live with. I personally consider her among the most - if not the most - resilient and driven operators in Rainbow's ranks.</p><p>I don’t suffer from CMT or any nerve damage issues, but I’ve had three open-heart surgeries, and so her story really stuck out to me.</p><p>To excel in life (athletically and academically) despite such a hardship, assume the responsibility of trying to find a cure to her own condition that threatens her life at every turn, while helping others with her research and serving in the ranks of the world's most elite counterterrorism force?</p><p>I wanted to highlight not only Finka's struggle, but her determination. She is remarkable, and that's saying something considering the company she's in.</p><p>
  <i>NOVEMBER SUN</i>
</p><p>The 2004 Beslan School Crisis was a tragic event on all sides. I was shocked that I had never heard of it, and drew upon real-life accounts, records, and interviews from survivors and the families of the deceased.</p><p>I was in awe as I read more and more. The event was tragic, and though I drew on it for the story, I want to firmly emphasize that the actions of the villains in this book are purely fictional and <i>do not</i> reflect the sentiments of real-life survivors of the crisis.</p><p>Thank you all for reading.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>